Handling a cellphone while driving could soon be illegal in Iowa under a bill that is on its way to the governor’s desk.
The Iowa House of Representatives passed the bill Wednesday with an 84-11 vote, after several years of resisting calls from law enforcement, cycling groups, and the families of people killed by distracted drivers, to tighten the state’s laws around using a cellphone while driving.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected to sign the bill into law. She asked lawmakers to pass it in her Condition of the State address in January. It would take effect on July 1.
Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, managed the bill’s passage. She thanked the family members of people who were killed by distracted drivers for their advocacy.
“Telling your story is very difficult, but it has made a difference,” Meyer said. “I do believe this legislation will save lives.”
Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said in a statement that the bill will save lives and make the roads safer for all Iowans. He said the group has worked towards this day for nearly seven years, along with the families of people who were killed by distracted drivers.
“We do this for them, for their families, and we know that this new law will, for a fact, prevent unnecessary future loss of loved ones,” Hoffman said. “This law is the seatbelt law of our generation, and we will be working in the coming months to educate the general public on how we can all change behavior so we can save lives, together.”
Here's what the bill would do:
Current law prohibits writing, sending or viewing an electronic message while driving. Law enforcement groups have long said that is nearly impossible to enforce.
The bill bans the use of — that includes holding, viewing and manipulating — electronic devices while driving, unless it is in a hands-free or voice-activated mode. Drivers would be allowed to use a single touch to activate or deactivate the device, like to answer a phone call.
A driver could handle their cellphone if their vehicle is at a complete stop “off the traveled portion of the roadway” or “as far away from the center of the roadway as is practicable if the vehicle cannot be entirely removed.”
The bill exempts several categories of people from the handheld electronic device ban, including:
- A member of a public safety agency performing official duties
- A health care professional in an emergency situation,
- A person receiving safety-related information related to an emergency or weather
- A person reporting an emergency situation
- A person operating farm equipment
- A person using a two-way radio who is licensed with the Federal Communications Commission
- A member of a public transit system performing official duties in a stopped vehicle
- A utility employee acting within the scope of their job
- A transportation network company driver while engaged in a prearranged ride while the vehicle is not in motion
- A person using a device to access a fleet management system
The fine for violating the law would be $100, up from the current $45 fine.
If a person is convicted of violating the law, and they caused a serious injury, a court could impose an additional $500 fine and suspend the person’s driver’s license. If someone causes a death because they were using their phone while driving, they could face a $1,000 fine and a license suspension.
