Articles Tagged: Traffic safety

Also, proposed legislation would prohibit fire sprinkler requirements for townhouses

Iowa’s traffic fatality count for 2025 was the lowest is 100 years, a milestone state officials are saying is thanks, in part, to a new hands-free driving bill that was passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds last year.

The start of a new year also means the start of new laws in Iowa, including fines for handling a cellphone while driving, a statewide ban on ranked choice voting and an overhaul of state business tax incentives.

The Iowa State Patrol, National Weather Service and the Iowa Department of Transportation said in a webinar on Monday that Iowans should start preparing for winter weather and poor driving conditions even before snow hits the ground.

On July 1, Iowa will join 30 other states in outlawing any phone use while driving that isn’t hands-free. The law was passed earlier this year, and will replace Iowa’s current rules about phone usage while driving, which law enforcement officers say were difficult to enforce, since only texting was banned.

When University of Iowa researchers surveyed first-responders in Cedar Rapids, their study published last year found no noticeable difference in response time when a road diet was in place.

Iowa will join 30 other states that passed laws making it illegal to handle a cellphone while driving, starting July 1. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the new law Wednesday, surrounded by people who have lost loved ones to distracted driving.

Drivers in Iowa will be prohibited from operating cell phones and other devices with their hands once Reynolds signs it into law as expected

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Lobbyists for cities and traffic camera companies said the companies’ work is more efficient than government and ultimately saves taxpayers

Fewer people died in traffic crashes in Iowa in 2024 than did the year before, but the rate still is higher than seen in recent years -- as high speeds, distracted driving, lax use of seat belts and wrong-way drivers continue to pose dangers on the state’s roadways.

Also, $11.5 million in federal grants are awarded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau to state traffic safety measures.

Also, State Auditor warns Iowans to be alert of scams in wake of flooding

A new bipartisan law would regulate the technology

A new state law requires Iowa local governments to obtain a permit to continue using automated traffic enforcement cameras beyond Oct. 1