Hand-Held Device Ban in Iowa Advances

Further restrictions on using hand-held devices while driving will come to the state of Iowa if a current bill continues to advance a bill going through the legislature.

The Gazette reports that a Senate subcommittee recently voted 3-0 to approve Senate Study Bill 3045. This would prohibit not only texting and driving but ban drivers from even using a smartphone or other hand-held electronic device while driving.

Violations would result in a $30 fine.

Don't worry, you'd be able to use your phone in hands-free mode. It's a no-brainer since many vehicle makers are already integrating these features into automobiles.

Exempt from the prohibition would be those public safety agencies or health care professionals performing emergency operations, or in cases where a motorist was reporting an emergency. The ban would also not prevent use in a stopped or parked vehicle.

Nineteen states already have similar bans in place. Promoters of the ban say the use of hand-held devices while driving leads to 1.6 million deaths a year.