You drive, you text, you pay
Submitted by Gary Everding, Jr.
Denver Police Chief
Des Moines, Iowa - April 3-10, the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement across the state to help curb the epidemic of distracted driving.
In 2022, 9,201 crashes on Iowa roadways were because of distracted/inattentive drivers. These accidents are responsible for 20 deaths, 3,652 injured persons, and over $81 million dollars in property damage. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 32,483 people died in distraction-affected crashes across the country from 2011-2020.
In Iowa, distracted driving is a primary law which means law enforcement officers can stop any driver who is texting (reading, writing, or sending) or using any portable electronic device, unless the motor vehicle is at a complete stop and off the travel portion of the roadway.
Beginning April 3, drivers will see increased law enforcement efforts. Officers will be stopping and ticketing those caught texting and driving. You drive, you text, you pay.
The GTSB encourages drivers to use hands-free options when engaging a mobile device in their vehicle. Drivers can also limit distractions by enabling the "driving focus" on phones.
The Denver Police Department participated in the last sTEP enforcement wave from March 11-March 19, 2023. During the wave, there were a total of 37 warnings issued. The warnings were as follows: seat belt 18; registration 10; stop sign violations 3; insurance violations 3; speed 2, and equipment 1.
The Denver Police Department will be participating in the enforcement wave from April 3 - 10, 2023. Officers will be working on various traffic violations with a focus on Distracted Driving.
Denver Police Chief
Des Moines, Iowa - April 3-10, the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement across the state to help curb the epidemic of distracted driving.
In 2022, 9,201 crashes on Iowa roadways were because of distracted/inattentive drivers. These accidents are responsible for 20 deaths, 3,652 injured persons, and over $81 million dollars in property damage. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 32,483 people died in distraction-affected crashes across the country from 2011-2020.
In Iowa, distracted driving is a primary law which means law enforcement officers can stop any driver who is texting (reading, writing, or sending) or using any portable electronic device, unless the motor vehicle is at a complete stop and off the travel portion of the roadway.
Beginning April 3, drivers will see increased law enforcement efforts. Officers will be stopping and ticketing those caught texting and driving. You drive, you text, you pay.
The GTSB encourages drivers to use hands-free options when engaging a mobile device in their vehicle. Drivers can also limit distractions by enabling the "driving focus" on phones.
The Denver Police Department participated in the last sTEP enforcement wave from March 11-March 19, 2023. During the wave, there were a total of 37 warnings issued. The warnings were as follows: seat belt 18; registration 10; stop sign violations 3; insurance violations 3; speed 2, and equipment 1.
The Denver Police Department will be participating in the enforcement wave from April 3 - 10, 2023. Officers will be working on various traffic violations with a focus on Distracted Driving.
