IOWA - Numbers from the Iowa State Patrol show traffic fatalities in August are tied for the highest monthly total in a decade.
There were 51 traffic fatalities last month, the same number recorded in August of 2015. The single highest monthly death toll on Iowa roads in the last decade was 56 in August of 2010.
Traffic fatalities dipped significantly earlier this year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp decrease in highway traffic. Those numbers have steadily climbed upward since the low levels recorded in March and April.
State Troopers have continually expressed concern with the high number of speeding tickets this year, particularly with citations for more than 100 miles per hour.
One driver was recently clocked at 148 miles per hour, which is more than double the highest posted speed of 70 mph on Iowa interstate highway.