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Now police can pull you over for texting and driving
by Bob Dvorsky, State Senator · Op-Ed · July 20, 2017
On July 1, several updates to Iowa law went into effect, including new traffic rules designed to make our roads safer. Here are five you’ll want to remember when you get behind the wheel:
1. Fender benders: If you’re in an accident that results only in vehicle damage, you’ll need to move your car to the nearest shoulder, emergency lane or median, if possible. This will help keep traffic from getting backed up and prevent additional accidents (HF 313).
2. Slow down to get around: Motorists must slow down, change lanes if possible and be prepared to stop when passing garbage and recycling trucks with their safety lights flashing. This is similar to Iowa laws for driving through construction zones and passing public safety or emergency vehicles (HF314).
3. Turns on red: When stopped at a red light, you can now make a right turn from all lanes designated for right turns, or a left turn from all lanes designated for left turns on a one-way street. This new law reflects current road design and traffic signaling. It also helps eliminate confusion and keeps traffic moving (HF 372).
4. Texting while driving: Law enforcement can now pull you over and ticket you if they see you texting while driving. This includes using e-mail, webpages, social media and gaming. Under the old law, officers could only cite you for texting if they pulled you over for another traffic violation (SF 234).
5. Reckless driving update: If a driver seriously injures or kills someone because they’re texting while driving, they’ll be guilty of reckless driving, a Class C felony (SF 444).
The new texting laws are aimed at combatting distracted driving, a big factor in traffic fatalities. A recent AAA study shows that drivers view texting as a very serious threat to their own personal safety and consider it completely unacceptable. Yet nearly 1 in 3 admits to sending texts and more than 40 percent report reading texts while driving.
To contact Senator Dvorsky during the week, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at home at 319-351-0988. E-mail him at bob.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov.
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