“I just think there’s too much Big Brother out there,” said Des Moines City Council member Skip Moore on Monday, a quote that began an editorial in the Des Moines Register on Thursday, July 15, 2010. Unlike Councilman Moore, the Iowa newspaper supports the idea of traffic cameras. But there continues to be heated debate across the state over whether their existence is beneficial from a safety standpoint, or a “Big Brother violation.” As a campaign dedicated to safe driving practices, we’d have to side with the former.
Do you support traffic cameras at Iowa intersections? Why or why not? Leave a comment below or vote in our latest Twtpoll.
Drive Safe Cedar Valley, a traffic safety awareness initiative aimed at saving lives by changing the culture of driving in the Cedar Valley, has announced a new spokesperson to lead public awareness efforts in 2010. Corbin Payne, a lieutenant and Watch I Commander with the Waterloo Police Department, will promote the campaign’s mission and safety messages throughout the Cedar Valley. Payne joins Nick Anderson, a firefighter and paramedic for the Waterloo Fire Department, as a campaign spokesperson.
“The Drive Safe Cedar Valley campaign is designed to change the culture of driving in the Cedar Valley through safety awareness and advocacy,” said Sandie Greco, Superintendent of Traffic Operations for the City of Waterloo. “Corbin has seen the devastating impact of unsafe driving in the Cedar Valley up close. His experiences really put the importance of safe driving habits into perspective in our community.”
As a new spokesperson, Payne will help promote and share important safety and accountability messages with the community through public appearances, traditional media outlets and social media, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the Drive Safe Cedar Valley blog.
“As a public safety official, the Drive Safe Cedar Valley mission resonates with me because of the unsafe driving consequences I witness while on the job,”said Corbin Payne, Lieutenant and Watch I Commander with the Waterloo Police Department, and spokesperson for Drive Safe Cedar Valley. “By encouraging the community to take ownership of their safety and the safety of others, together we can raise awareness about this program and build support to sustain it into the future.”
Payne has been a member of the Waterloo Police Department since 1996. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of Watch I Patrol, Payne has also served as a Supervisor of the Citizens Response Unit (CRU) and the Waterloo Police Tactical Unit. Other duties and assignments include Patrol Officer, Drug Crime Unit, Bike Patrol Officer and Investigator with the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Nick Anderson, spokesperson for Drive Safe Cedar Valley, shared some important safety messages with a younger audience today. He spoke to children attending the Quakerdale Mobile Camp at Hammond Brethren Church in Waterloo about seatbelt, pedestrian and bicycle safety. For more photos, visit the Drive Safe Cedar Valley Facebook page.
You can also listen in below to a YouTube video snippet of Nick chatting with the camp kids.
The word is out. Drive Safe Cedar Valley – and new campaign spokesperson Nick Anderson – are on a mission to save lives. The Courier shared that news with the Cedar Valley this week. Read the article here – and help us spread the word to encourage safe driving habits!
As part of his commitment to safety awareness, Nick wants to know what worries you most – whether it’s texting, drinking and driving, or pedestrian and bike safety in the Cedar Valley. Is there a busy intersection or street in the Cedar Valley that concerns you? What kind of safety measures do you take behind the wheel? Leave a comment. Share your ideas. Because our lives are in your hands. And together, we can make the Cedar Valley a safer place to drive and live.
Which unsafe driving practice do you think is the biggest problem in the Cedar Valley? Weigh in and cast your vote in our poll! We’ll reveal the results here on our blog, as well as on Facebook and Twitter, on Friday, April 23!
Nick Anderson, a Waterloo firefighter, EMT and new spokesperson for Drive Safe Cedar Valley, talks about the importance of safety awareness on the roads – and how you can help the campaign continue into the future.
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“I just think there’s too much Big Brother out there,” said Des Moines City Council member Skip Moore on Monday, a quote that began an editorial in the Des Moines Register on Thursday, July 15, 2010. Unlike Councilman Moore, the Iowa newspaper supports the idea of traffic cameras. But there continues to be heated debate across the state over whether their existence is beneficial from a safety standpoint, or a “Big Brother violation.” As a campaign dedicated to safe driving practices, we’d have to side with the former.
