Pottawattamie County Recognizes Rural Road Safety Awareness Week
Posted July 15, 2026
Posted by Secondary Roads and Public Relations
The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed July 13–17, 2026, as Rural Road Safety Awareness Week, encouraging residents to recognize the prevalence of rural travel and commit to making local roads safer for everyone.
The proclamation highlights this year's national theme, "The Rural Modes," which recognizes the many ways people travel on rural roadways. From passenger vehicles and motorcycles to farm equipment, emergency vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and more, rural roads serve a wide variety of users every day.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 41 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States occurred on rural roads in 2024, despite only about 20 percent of the population living in rural areas. Rural roadways often present unique challenges, including higher travel speeds, longer distances, curves, unpaved roads, and greater distances from emergency medical care.
Representing the Pottawattamie County Secondary Roads Department during the proclamation were County Engineer Andy Wicks, West Foreman Craig Jensen, East Foreman Tom Schneckloth, Construction Foreman Kyle Arnold, and Roads Operations Center Foreman Shawn Bluml.
"Safety is a key component of Secondary Roads, and any chance we can get to highlight safety is something we want to do," said County Engineer Andy Wicks during the Board of Supervisors meeting.
The proclamation also recognizes the important role that local agencies play in improving transportation safety through roadway improvements, proven safety countermeasures, public education, and partnerships focused on reducing crashes and preventing serious injuries.
Pottawattamie County encourages all motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other road users to do their part by staying alert, obeying traffic laws, sharing the road, and slowing down when approaching emergency responders and crash scenes.
By working together, residents can help make Pottawattamie County's rural roads safer and ensure everyone arrives at their destination safely.