• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Assistant Attorney General calls for tougher bike safety laws

Assistant Attorney General calls for tougher bike safety laws

May 11, 2016 By Radio Iowa Contributor

Bike-SignAn assistant in the Iowa Attorney General’s office is calling on state legislators to make it easier to prove recklessness in cases where bicyclists are injured or killed when hit by motor vehicles.

Pete Grady says Iowa currently has some of the nation’s highest hurdles to clear when prosecutors go after distracted drivers accused of hitting bicyclists. He says legislators have done nothing to toughen laws.

“We had bills filed in 2015, 2011, 2008, and we haven’t had any movement on bicycle safety laws in any of those sessions of the legislature,” Grady said. More than 20 bicyclists have died after being struck by vehicles in Iowa over the past five years. At present, Grady says prosecutors need to show the vehicle operators knew their actions would cause harm.

“I don’t think anyone would define reckless behavior as requiring a better than 50 percent outcome for danger or harm, but that’s the standard we have now in Iowa,” Grady said. Most of the time, county attorneys go after lesser charges against drivers involved in serious bicycle accidents, resulting in fines, but no jail time, according to Grady. He notes most Iowans agree that texting while driving is very dangerous, but Grady doesn’t believe it’s treated that way under Iowa law.

A police officer in Iowa can’t pull over a motorist for simply texting while driving. Grady asks, “How serious is texting if the legislature says it’s not even serious enough to require that somebody be pulled over when it’s observed by a law enforcement officer?” Grady made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River program.

Thanks Rob Dillard, Iowa Public Radio

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News, Recreation / Entertainment Tagged With: Legislature, Transportation

Featured Stories

Abortion opponents call for ‘life at conception’ law to ban all abortions

Bill would limit placement of solar arrays on farm ground

Marquette casino moving to land, leaving only 2 casino boats in Iowa

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI looks to end skid at Evansville

No. 11 Iowa State visits West Virginia

Fast start boosts Drake at Murray State

No coaching changes coming for Iowa football

Iowa State names new receivers coach

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC