The Iowa Department of Transportation is reporting 321 people were killed in traffic crashes in Iowa in 2014. That’s four more than last year.
Tracey Bramble, with the Iowa DOT, says a few smart decisions go a long way toward safe driving. “People need to slow down, drive sober, focus on the road, don’t use your phone and that type of thing, stay alert, don’t drive while you’re drowsy, and the biggest things is buckle up,” Bramble said.
The 317 traffic deaths in 2013 marked the lowest annual total in the state since 1944. In 2012, there were 365 traffic fatalities in Iowa.
Bramble is hoping Iowa will go through 2015 without a single fatality from traffic crashes. “People think that may not be realistic, but if you think about your family, that goal is always going to be the goal that you have for your loved ones,” Bramble said. “So, why shouldn’t it be the goal statewide?”
A study released in November found nearly 93% of motorists in Iowa buckle-up when they get in a vehicle. Bramble notes the roughly 7% of non-seatbelt users account for nearly half (46%) of all fatalities on Iowa roadways.