(Des Moines, IA) — An Iowa interstate is being named the most hazardous road in the U.S. when it comes to winter commuting. Samsara, a San Francisco-based fleet management tech firm, has placed I-80 in the Hawkeye State at the top of its list of dangerous routes for holiday travel. The interstate has seen a 625% increase in winter crashes, according to the company. Some of the hot spots for crashes on the list include West Des Moines, Iowa City, and the Missouri River crossing at Council Bluffs.
Samsara found that nearly half of all traffic accidents occur during the afternoon and evening commutes, with the risk exceptionally high at night due to reduced visibility and cooler temperatures. As the temperature drops, driving late at night or early in the morning becomes even more dangerous, as fatigued drivers and black ice increase the likelihood of accidents. On top of these environmental risks, anonymized data from Allstate’s mobile app shows that phone use while driving spikes by 10 percent on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and on Sunday evening, when many people are returning home.
This Thanksgiving, a record 81.8 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday, November 25, and Monday, December 1, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Seventy-three million of those people are expected to travel by car, with AAA warning that the number might grow if people avoid airports in the wake of the shutdown.
