University Vehicle Parking Policy

Good news! The Parking Department has updated the University vehicle parking webpage to provide more information about parking University vehicles on campus. Please review the policies and keep the rules and regulations in mind when parking a University vehicle.  Also, as a reminder, please move your University vehicle 24-48 hours after a major snow event so lots can be plowed.

Spring Break Vehicle Reservations

Spring break will be here before we know it and believe it or not we have already received some vehicle requests. If your department or group is planning on going somewhere over break and you need vehicles, please share your plans with us as early as possible. Even if you aren’t yet prepared to submit requisitions, communicating to us potential dates, type of vehicles needed, and how many vehicles will be requested well in advance will help us with our planning. Also, keep in mind that the SUV’s available to haul trailers go quickly and they are first come, first served. It is never too early to the begin student driver certification process to give students the maximum amount of time to complete required training.

511ia.org, an Invaluable Winter Resource

The Iowa 511 app is a great resource for winter driving and trip planning. The 511 app presents an interactive map with tappable traffic event icons and road information for interstates, U.S. routes, and state highways in Iowa. The most useful tool is the all-powerful “Winter Driving” mode. When accessed it will color code the map with real-time up-to-date road conditions and shows the location of active snowplows on the road.  Another option is to click “Cameras”. This will bring up the locations of all the DOT traffic cameras and allow you to see an actual images and live video of a road’s condition. Use it on the web or download it from your preferred app store.

From RX to Wrecks: Don’t Drive Impaired

Work Truck Online released an article this month pointing out that common cold and flu medications have side effects that can impair a driver. The article is geared toward trucking but the same can be true for any driver. Tis the season for colds, flu, and respiratory illnesses, as a result drivers may be operating at less than 100%. They may feel unwell but not sick enough to stay home, so they turn to medication to help mitigate symptoms. It is important to remember that using some prescriptions or over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms can create safety risks when operating a vehicle or truck. Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, upset stomach, blurred vision, headache, a fast heartbeat etc., all effects that can impair a driver. The primary responsibility is on the driver to know when they are to sick or tired to drive. That being said, it is incumbent upon supervisors to be vigilant and identify drivers that are not well enough to drive. 

Brrr-attery Blues: How Cold Weather Effects EV Range

Traditional internal combustion vehicles see slight drops in efficiency in colder temperatures, but what about electric vehicles? Cold weather effects the overall range and charging efficiency of EVs meaning owners in colder climates, like Iowa, need to adjust their charging and driving behaviors in winter months. Recurrent, an EV battery research company, recently set out to quantify this cold weather effect. In doing so they looked at 18 popular EV models to see how their range is decreased in freezing temperatures. Overall vehicles had an average of 70.3% of their range in freezing conditions with each model performing very differently. The study found that EV ranges drop anywhere from 16% to 48%. The Audi e-tron distinguished itself as a winter leader, dropping the least range in cold conditions, only losing 16% of its range. The good news is that this range loss is temporary and there is no long-term damage to your battery. As the ice melts and the temperatures rise, your vehicle’s range should return to normal. Check out more information in the full study.

Fleet Factoid

BASF has released their 2023 car color report and once again the most popular car “color” in the US is white, with grayscale colors of white, black, silver ,and Gray making up 80% of new vehicles sold. The most popular actual colors were blue and red with only a 9% and 8% share respectively.