(Denison) Traffic fatalities on Iowa roadways are significantly lower than they were at this time last year. Iowa State Patrol Trooper and District 4 Public Information Officer Shelby McCreedy reports that as of December 26, 257 people have died on Iowa’s roads this year—85 fewer fatalities than during the same period one year ago.
Trooper McCreedy points to several reasons for the decrease, citing first and foremost the hands-free law that took effect July 1.
She also credits a concerted effort by the Iowa State Patrol to focus on dangerous driving behaviors, aimed at reducing the fatality rate. McCreedy notes that Iowa has not recorded fewer than 300 traffic fatalities in a single year since 1925.
In 2024, 351 people were killed in crashes on Iowa roadways, down from 366 fatalities in 2023.
