(Des Moines) Iowa District 11 Senator Tom Shipley says the Transportation Committee is working on a bill prohibiting talking with a cellphone in hand while driving.
Currently, Iowa law permits motorists to make and receive calls and talk on the phone while driving. Shipley says if this Bill comes to fruition, drivers will be banned from speaking with a cell phone in hand. “The Bill would expand violations by prohibiting any use of an electronic device while driving unless it’s in the voice-activated or hands-free mode,” said Shipley. “There are a few exemptions for members of Public Safety and emergency workers, but by and large, if this goes all the way through, you’re going to be driving and not talking on the phone.”
Iowa’s does have a distracted driving law prohibiting motorists from using a hand-held electronic communication device to write, send, or view an electronic message while driving. The term “electronic message” includes text-based communications, images, instant messages, emails, Internet sites, social media applications, and games.
Iowa’s distracted driving law contains exceptions for members of public safety agencies performing official duties, healthcare professionals in the course of emergencies, and persons receiving safety-related information, including emergency, traffic, and weather alerts.
