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Despite widespread support for the legislation, state lawmakers have failed to pass a ban on motorist handheld use of cellphones. From 2014 to 2023, 78 people in Iowa were killed by distracted drivers using a cellphone or other handheld device.
From 2014 to 2023, 78 people were killed in the state by distracted drivers using a cellphone or other handheld electronic device, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Bills limiting cellphone use while driving by mandating hands-free technology have been introduced in the Iowa Legislature since 2019, but all attempts at passage have been unsuccessful. More than 30 other states have passed such laws. Why won't Iowa?
Ellen Bengtson was riding her bicycle near Charles City on a sunny Sunday evening in 2020 when she was killed by a driver who was opening an app on his
An Iowa Senate panel advanced a bill Monday that would only allow hands-free use of cell phones while driving, as lawmakers continue a years-long effort to strengthen the state’s distracted driving laws and improve safety on Iowa’s roads.