Starting Tuesday, July 1st, it will be illegal for Iowa motorists to hold a cell phone, scroll through it or watch videos on it while driving. Sergeant Alex Dinkla is the spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol.
A 2017 Iowa law has banned texting while driving, but Dinkla says it’s been hard to enforce because drivers were allowed to handle their phones to make calls or fiddle with digital maps for navigation. That changes July 1st.
If a vehicle doesn’t have “hands-free” technology, Dinkla says there are ways to adapt.
There are small Bluetooth transmitters that can be installed in vehicles that don’t have the technology. The law allows for one-touch activation, so Dinkla says you could buy a cell phone holder and answer calls in speaker mode. However, Dinkla says the best option is having the phone in “do not disturb” mode while driving.
Starting January 1st, the fine for handling a cell phone while driving will be 100 dollars. Fines escalate if there’s an accident causing serious injury or death. There are some exemptions in the bill for people like bus drivers, emergency responders and people driving farm machinery.
