Statewide, Iowa – Iowa DOT director Scott Marler told the Transportation Commission earlier this month that traffic deaths are down so far this year.
There were 132 traffic deaths through the early part of the this month. Marler says there were several deaths during the Fourth of July holiday.
The new hands-free phone law went into effect on July 1st and Marler says that should help bring down traffic deaths.
There have been more than 300 traffic deaths in the state in each of the last five years, with 2023 seeing the most in that period at 379. There were 356 traffic deaths last year.
