Photo courtesy of Henry County Sheriff's Office social media

Anyone traveling on Highway 218 from Mt. Pleasant to County Road J-20 in Henry County may notice new signage warning of increased enforcement. 

This section of roadway, combined with five others in the state, have been identified by the Iowa Department of Transportation as some of the most dangerous. In fact, these six areas rank in the top one percent for all crashes and severe crashes in Iowa. So far this year, traffic fatalities in Iowa are 13 percent higher statewide than the five-year average.

Labeled “Safety Corridor,” the hope is for these signs to increase awareness of all drivers traveling on statistically dangerous roadways. Henry County Sheriff, Rich McNamee, tells KCII that in addition to the signs, the law enforcement presence in these areas will be higher. “Highway 218 in the south end of Henry County has been labeled by the State and Federal Government as a dangerous piece of roadway. So our motoring public, we just want to remind them to obey the laws. Speed is still the number one cause of accidents or crashes in the United States, so we’re gonna do some extra enforcement in the south end of our county along 218 and try and thwart some of those problems we got down there.” 

All drivers are reminded to follow posted signs and speed limits, wear their seatbelts, and help make Iowa’s roadways safer.