Why Doesn’t Iowa Have This Law When Driving?

Why doesn't Iowa have this law put into place already? Why doesn't every single state have this law put into place already? The only thing that putting this law into place would do is help keep Iowa's roadways safer. 36 states have this law for drivers. Iowa is one of the 14 states that doesn't.

Have you ever been driving down the road and come across someone whose car is swerving from side to side and you're wondering if they're possibly under the influence? When you eventually catch up to them or pass them, you realize they're not under the influence...they're on their dang phone.

Every single person who drives a car, at some point, will deal with someone who's using their phone while driving. Don't get me started on the people who record Snapchat videos while they drive.

Hands-Free Law

According to KCRG, 36 states have "hands-free" laws for drivers and Iowa is not one of them. There were efforts to try and pass a bill during the last legislative session but the bill was not passed. My question is...why? There is literally no downside to trying to prevent people from using their phones while driving.

I'm also talking about using your phone with your hands. Most cars these days allow you to talk on the phone while keeping both hands on the wheel and you can also use your phone's voice chat feature if you need to send a text. There's no reason, in 2023, to have your hands on your phone while driving. According to DPS Iowa, "Drivers under 18 are prohibited from using their devices entirely. Drivers over 18 may use their phones to talk while driving." Iowa does ban every driver from texting and driving.

Traffic Safety Bureau

Brett Tjepkes works with the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau and he says the texting-while-driving ban is hard to enforce. He told KCRG,

With apps that are on the phone, with navigations, with everything else that is cell phone can do for us, It’s really hard to prove that somebody’s actually reading or writing a text-based message.

There have been bills aimed at requiring Iowa drivers to go hands-free since 2019 but they've never passed. Bretty believes it is time for Iowa to add this restriction.

It is something that is garnering a lot of attention nationwide and we believe that it’s time for Iowa to have a similar restriction. It would put people’s attention back on the roadway. You know, driving is demanding, you know, with the amount of traffic that’s on the road, with the amount of dangers that are out there, drivers need to be focused on driving

With the advancement in technology, most drivers can already operate their vehicles hands-free but if for whatever reason someone really needs to answer that text or make a phone call, there's always the option to pull the car over. Passing a hands-free bill won't be a burden to Iowa drivers. If anything, it'll create safer roadways for all of us.

Who in their right mind wants someone driving on the same road as them who is using their phone? Pass the bill. This seems pretty ridiculous in my opinion.