Northwest Iowa — As we told you last week, there were 402 people who lost their lives on Iowa’s roadways last year. That number represents a huge increase in traffic deaths, while during the same period, deaths on South Dakota’s roadways decreased dramatically.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper Vince Kurtz thinks it’s time to take a look and see if South Dakota is doing something to prevent fatal crashes that Iowa can learn from.
Trooper Kurtz says 2016 was a horrible year for traffic deaths in Iowa, and 2017 is not starting out to be much better.
The Iowa State Patrol has blamed distracted driving for many of the fatal crashes on Iowa roadways in 2016. In last week’s Condition of the State address, Governor Terry Branstad called for a crackdown on distracted driving. Kurtz agrees that more needs to be done about that issue.
Currently in Iowa, there is a law allowing adults, while barring teens from using their phone behind the wheel. Kurtz points out that commercial drivers are prohibited from cell phone use while driving, and he thinks that should apply to everyone.
The Iowa Department of Transportation says that, through the first 16 days of 2017, 12 people have died in traffic crashes in the state.
