The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau has announced five Iowa counties will join the High Five Rural Traffic Safety Project, an initiative focused on increasing seat belt use and reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries involving unprotected vehicle occupants.
The newly selected counties are Clinton, Mills, Sioux, Warren, and Winneshiek.
Over the next three years, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau will work with local law enforcement agencies, public safety organizations, community groups, and residents in each county. The project will use a combination of enforcement, public education, and engineering strategies based on the specific traffic safety needs of each community.
The five counties were selected following an analysis by the Iowa State University Institute for Transportation. Researchers examined crash and occupant-protection data to identify rural communities experiencing higher-than-average rates of fatalities and serious injuries involving unrestrained occupants.
Previous High Five counties have seen measurable changes. In Appanoose, Fremont, Humboldt, Keokuk, and Mitchell counties, unrestrained motorist fatalities accounted for approximately 90% of motorist fatalities when the project began in 2024. Following three years of targeted education and high-visibility enforcement, that figure declined to 50%.
Serious injuries involving unprotected occupants also declined, dropping from 51% to 30%. That figure is below Iowa’s statewide average of 34%.
GTSB Bureau Chief Brett Tjepkes said the results show the impact of bringing traffic safety resources and community partnerships together.
“Ultimately, this work is about saving lives,” Tjepkes said.
The High Five Rural Traffic Safety Project is part of Iowa’s broader effort to reduce traffic fatalities. Iowa recorded 259 traffic deaths in 2025, the lowest number in state history. The state is also currently on pace for another year with fewer than 300 traffic fatalities in 2026.
Source: Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau
For more information: Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau
