Beginning December 1, a new initiative focusing on traffic safety in rural Iowa will be launched in Keokuk, Appanoose, Fremont, Humboldt, and Mitchell counties. 

Identified as the “High Five Rural Traffic Safety Project,” the aim is to build a safer community through a focus on enforcement, engineering, and education. Participating agencies will work to educate drivers on the benefits of complying with traffic laws, specifically Iowa’s seat belt law. Low-cost safety improvements will also be identified throughout the counties.

This project stems from a 2021 report that found 72 percent of fatal crashes in Iowa occurring on secondary rural roads. There have been 255 fatalities in the first nine months of this year alone. The High Five project will conclude on September 30 of next year.