Iowa’s Public Safety Commissioner says the state currently is on track to mark a fourth consecutive year with fewer than 400 traffic fatalities. Larry Noble says at of the end of August, there had been 212 deaths on Iowa roadways compared to 244 during the same period last year.
“We’re less than 400 fatalities in the last few years and that is quite a milestone for us…but we want to continue to see if we can have more (of a reduction),” Noble said. The state’s two lane roads are often the most dangerous.
“That’s where we have kind of a constant amount of fatal accidents and we’re going to do some special work in regard to those primary and secondary roads because accidents there are a lot less forgiving. You can drive off the road and you’re into a deep ditch or cross the center line and things like that,” Noble said.
Iowa’s two lane roads account for about 30% of the fatal accidents. Noble says too many accidents are being caused by drivers who are texting on a cell phone. “It is against the law to text now and the officer has to prove that in court. If they charge you, they do have the opportunity to look at (phone) records and see if you were physically texting at that time,” Noble said.
Law enforcement officers cannot pull over adult drivers for texting alone, but can issue a secondary citation if the motorist is caught violating another traffic law.