When you are behind the wheel you will likely encounter more people than just other drivers on the road. Whether it’s emergency responders helping with an incident, utility or maintenance workers, or someone whose vehicle has broken down, the actions you choose to take could make the difference between life or death.
So far this year there have been 12 pedestrian deaths on Iowa’s roads. When you think about a pedestrian death many imagine someone who is hit as they were trying to cross a city street. But the truth is the majority of those deaths are those that were struck along the side of a high-speed highway.
Iowa has a Move Over, Slow Down law in place to protect those most vulnerable alongside the road. When you approach a vehicle that is stopped with its flashing lights activated, you must move over at least one lane, if it’s safe. If changing lanes isn’t possible, then slow down to a safe speed. This allows you to stop or react to unexpected movements if you need to.
Think about the difference moving over could have made for these individuals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F30JpicSwaQ
In 2024 in Iowa, 103 people have been killed in traffic crashes as of Friday, May 31. That’s an increase of four since Friday, May 24. In Iowa in 2023, there were 377 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf