Northwest Iowa — If you use a cell phone in the wrong way at the wrong time you could be getting a ticket if a bill that has cleared the Iowa Senate becomes law. You would still be allowed to use a hand-held device to make a phone call or look at a digital map to get GPS driving directions, but you could be pulled over for texting, Snapchatting, or having a Facebook Live session behind the wheel. Currently, law enforcement officers can’t pull you over if they see you texting, unless you’re committing another violation, as well. The new bill would change that.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper Vince Kurtz says that if the bill becomes law, it will be a “step in the right direction.”
Under the current law, texting while driving is considered a “secondary offense”, meaning that law enforcement can’t pull a vehicle over unless they witness another infraction, as well.
Last year in Iowa, more than 400 people were killed in traffic crashes, and Kurtz says distracted driving, including texting while driving, was a contributing factor in many of those crashes.
Currently, using a cell phone behind the wheel, for any purpose including texting, is illegal for those under 18 years of age in Iowa, but not for adults. The measure approved by the senate still requires approval in the Iowa House, and a signature from the Governor, before becoming law.
