News Release

April 11, 2008

Iowa Department of Transportation wins national award for leadership in
commercial motor vehicle safety law enforcement programs

ANKENY, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Transportation's (Iowa DOT) Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement (MVE) was recognized by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters for exemplary data quality for crash and inspection data.

Secretary Peters presented the award to MVE Chief Dave Lorenzen at a workshop in Denver, Colorado , March 25. The high-quality data included more than 60,000 motor carrier safety inspections, along with all crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle during fiscal year 2007.

Lorenzen said, “The data we collect is generated from roadside inspections. Working with staff in the Iowa DOT's Office of Driver Services, all commercial vehicle crash reports are checked for accuracy before being sent to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Quality and accuracy are extremely important because a trucking company's safety rating can affect their insurance rates and determine if their trucks are inspected more often.”

PHOTO CAPTION:

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters presents awards to state officials from Hawaii, Iowa and Michigan, respectively, at the 3rd Annual Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program Leadership Conference sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The awards were presented March 25, 2008, during the opening day luncheon of the conference held this year in Denver , Colorado .  Awards were given in categories for small, medium and large states.  Standing left to right, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters; Alexander Kaonohi, Administrator, Hawaii Department of Transportation (small state); Dave Lorenzen, Chief, Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Enforcement (medium state); and Captain Bob Powers, Commanding Officer, Michigan State Police, Traffic Safety Division (large state).  (Photo provided courtesy of FMCSA.  Photo credit: Rachel Hawthorn, Colorado State Patrol Media Center )

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