Statewide Iowa – Twenty-seven organizations have formed a coalition to urge the Iowa legislature to pass a law that makes it illegal for motorists to have a smart phone in their hand while driving. Luke Hoffman is executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. It’s one of the groups that’s part of the lobbying effort.
Alyson DeMoss, a lobbyist for ABATE of Iowa, says her group and the Iowa Motorcycle Dealers Association are part of this effort. She was nearly run off a bridge by a driver who was using his cell phone.
In 2017, Governor Terry Branstad approved a ban on texting while driving, but law enforcement has said it’s difficult to enforce. Bills that would ban people from handling their smart phone while driving have stalled in the legislature for years. Hoffman says the “End Distracted Driving Iowa Coalition” is pointing to results in the 30 states that HAVE so-called “hands free” laws that ban handling a smart phone while driving.
DOT records show distracted driving crashes IN IOWA have increased by 43 percent over the past decade. Last year, over a thousand accidents in Iowa involved distracted drivers.
(RI file photo)
