I-80 Challenge brings 'more cops, more stops' to lower accident rates

DES MOINES - Motorists traveling Interstate 80 can expect to see three times the normal contingent of state troopers as they normally would through the end of the month.

Iowa is one of 11 states participating in the “I-80 Challenge,” which aims to cut down on traffic accidents - and eliminate fatalities - along the 2,900 miles of I-80 by boosting the number of speed patrols.

The challenge, which uses the motto “More Cops. More Stops,” originated with Iowa Department of Public Safety Traffic Safety Bureau Chief Patrick Hoye, who was analyzing fatality data and thought a multi-state challenge was a good way to draw attention to the problem.

He said there's one serious accident on I-80 in Iowa every four days, on average. There were 350 fatalities during the three-year period of 2009 through 2011 on the interstate, which stretches from Teaneck, N.J., to San Francisco, Calif.

“It's actually not going cost us anything,” Hoye said, following a news Statehouse news conference where Gov. Terry Branstad read a proclamation for the challenge. The governor was joined by traffic enforcement officials from several states including California, Ohio and Missouri.

“The state is redistributing officers for the challenge, they're taking them out of current staffing levels that they have,” Hoye said. “And then each state has some federal discretionary funds that they can use for staffing during Labor Day, Fourth of July, things like that.”

Branstad is in the middle of his own speeding controversy that involves a former Division of Criminal Investigation agent. The agent, Larry Hedlund, was fired after he complained the governor was not given a speeding ticket even though an SUV carrying him and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds was clocked going 84 mph on a stretch of U.S. 20 between Cedar Rapids and Fort Dodge in April. Branstad administration officials say the firing was unrelated to that complaint.

Asked about the controversy following the news conference, Branstad reiterated his remarks from last week when he called on Hedlund to allow the state to release a 500-page disciplinary report on the officer. The report has not yet been made public.

“I wasn't driving, and I believe we need to lead by example,” Branstad said. “I made it clear to the governor's security detail, I expect them to obey the law … I made clear (state patrol officers) need to, unless there's an emergency, abide by the law.”