IOWA DEPUTY REMINDS DRIVERS: NO NEED FOR SPEED
Even when there are a dozens of cars in the ditches and medians of area highways, some drivers still don’t seem to take the hint: slow down.
“They’re not only disregarding their speed, they’re exceeding the limit,” Maj. Dave White of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. “There are icy patches all over (Iowa Highways) 22 and 70 and we were meeting cars that are running anywhere from 60-66 mph this morning.”
White said drivers need to use common sense and be mindful of the weather. After Sunday’s winter storm that left the ground covered in a sheet of ice, and Monday’s windy conditions, drivers should have been well aware that the patches of ice on area highways were dangerous, he added.
In Muscatine, the number of personal injury accidents has more than doubled from the first of the year through Feb. 19, as compared to the same time period in 2007.
On Monday alone, seven vehicle rollover accidents occurred and officials responded to dozens of vehicles that slid off roadways in Muscatine County.
Monday’s rollover incidents in Muscatine County included:
2:52 p.m., one vehicle rolled over at 1266 Taylor Ave. No injuries were reported.
10:39 a.m., a two-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 61 near Sweetland Road caused a panel truck to flip to its side into the median and the other vehicle wound up landing near it, but did not roll. No information was available at press times today regarding injuries or citations for this incident.
6:15 p.m., one person was trapped in a vehicle that rolled over in the 1000 block of Bancroft Ave. The person may have had a broken leg.
6:37 p.m., a vehicle rolled and landed on its top near 140th Street and Kelly Avenue., south of Atalissa. No injuries were reported.
6:55 p.m., a one-vehicle rollover occurred on Iowa Highway 927, Wilton. No injuries were reported.
7:25 p.m., a person was trapped in a vehicle after a rollover occurred on Taylor Avenue, north of U.S. Highway 61. At least one person suffered injuries and was taken to Unity Hospital, Muscatine.
7:45 p.m., a one-vehicle rollover was reported at Broadway Street and West Mississippi Drive. There were no injuries and no citations issued.
At least 50 people have died on Iowa’s roads so far this year, but officials can’t say for sure if the winter weather is to blame for the high number.
Some of the weekly summaries I’ve seen include crashes that are clearly related to losing control, crossing over into the other lane and being hit head-on,’’ said Bob Thompson of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
The 50 people who’ve died on Iowa’s roadways as of last Friday represent a 19 percent increase over the 42 fatalities during the same period in 2007. In the same period of 2006, 37 died on Iowa roadways..
White said a mixture of speed and snowy, wet or icy conditions contributed to many of the accidents he’s seen lately. He notes that already this year, he’s seen more accidents and rollovers than he’s seen at this time of the year in a very long time.
“Those people that are flipping over are just driving way too fast,” White said.
Though temperatures are forecast to inch back up into the upper 20s and lower 30s over the next few days, winter’s grip doesn’t appear to be loosening anytime soon. Scattered flurries are predicted and scattered patches of ice will likely remain on roadyways. Other than not driving, there’s no surefire way to avoid an accident all together. However, White said that reducing your driving speed — 45-50 mph on plowed highways — can cut down on the severity of the accident and reduce the risk of injury.
If drivers aren’t speeding and they hit a patch of ice, they’ll likely just slide into the ditch rather than flip — and are much less likely to be injured.
White added that drivers need to also remember the basics. Never use your cruise control when the roads are slick and always slow down and attempt to move into another lane when passing a vehicle on the roadside with yellow, blue or red lights. Those are public safety vehicles, city trucks or wreckers that need room for personnel to work. Unless there is a vehicle in oncoming traffic, drivers should move over, and should always reduce their speed.
“I’ve been at a scene with a wrecker pulling cars out of the ditch and seen cars blow right by us, two or three feet away, and then crash down the road,” White said. “It’s the Iowa Move Over law, and a lot of people act like they’ve never heard of it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Reporter contact information
Melissa Regennitter: 563-262-0526
By the numbers
Accidents reported in Muscatine County for the period, Jan. 1–Feb. 19
Accidents – Personal injury
14 in 2007; 32 in 2008
Accidents – Property damage
232 in 2007; 188 in 2008
Accidents – Unknown
12 in 2007; 19 in 2008
Accidents – hit & run
36 in 2007; 71 in 2008
At A Glance
In a winter accident?
The Iowa Department of Transportation recommend the following, should you become involved in an accident and help isn’t immediately available:
Do not panic.
Pull as far off the roadway as safe and possible.
If you have a cellular phone, call 911 for assistance and provide authorities with as much information about your location. Do not run down the battery.
Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Disorientation and hypothermia can occur. You are more likely to be found in your vehicle, and it will provide the best possible shelter. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk to in deep snow.
If you have a winter survival kit, use supplies conservatively. Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm, depending on how much fuel you have.
When the engine is running, open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe. This will protect you from possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
Exercise to maintain body heat, but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.
Take turns sleeping, if there is more than one person in the vehicle. If you are alone, do not sleep while the engine is running.
Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance electrical energy needs — the use of lights, heat, and radio — with supply.
At night, leave your dome light on only while the vehicle is running, so work crews or rescuers can see you.