May 16, 2024, started out like any other workday for Matt Dickerson, an employee at the Iowa DOT Neola Garage. But our co-worker never made it home. He was struck and killed by a motorist while performing daily duties in a work zone on I-80 near Council Bluffs.
Matt was a husband, father, son, friend, and colleague whose life was cut short while improving Iowa’s roadways. We always remember Matt and his service to Iowans, especially during National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation honors Matt and DOT workers across the country who perished in 2024 work zone tragedies in this Memoriam video.
Matt was one of 19 Iowa DOT employees who have died while working in a work zone since 1953. There have been many more work zone injuries and fatalities to motorists and pedestrians in our state. Over the past five years, a total of 3,294 work zone crashes in Iowa have resulted in 35 deaths.
Work zone safety has always been a high priority at the Iowa DOT with the annual coordination of hundreds of road and bridge construction and repair projects. We all play a part in keeping motorists and roadway workers safe. Narrow lanes, sudden stops, traffic pattern shifts, and uneven road surfaces present unique challenges in navigating work zones, so it’s important to minimize risks with good driving behaviors:
- Check Iowa 511 to research your route
- Expect the unexpected
- Slow down
- Avoid tailgating
- Eliminate distractions
- Pay attention to what’s ahead
The first step in work zone safety is being aware of the construction projects that are on your route. Construction zones can be identified anytime on Iowa 511, the DOT’s travel information system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) or download the free app to your mobile device.
In 2025, in Iowa, 67 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of 4 since last Friday. In Iowa in 2024, there were 356 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, visit the daily fatality report.