The first year of a measure designed to crackdown on distracted driving in Iowa resulted in State Patrol Troopers issuing more than 1,100 citations to motorists. A law that made texting while driving a "primary" offense took effect on July 1, 2017. "Since that time, Troopers in Iowa have written … [Read more...]
Extra officers out looking for distracted drivers this holiday
A special traffic enforcement effort is underway this Memorial Day weekend called the Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort, or CARE. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Vince Kurtz says extra officers will be out on the roadways with the main focus on speed and distracted driving. The DOT reports that 106 … [Read more...]
Fallen law officers remembered in annual memorial ceremony
Hundreds of law officers gathered in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol today for the annual ceremony honoring fallen officers. Rain forced the ceremony that's normally held outside at the Peace Officer Memorial site up the hill to the capitol building. Iowa Department of Public Safety … [Read more...]
Many people still text and drive in Iowa despite law change
April has been distracted driving awareness month and a state trooper says it continues to be a problem across the country and in Iowa. Sergeant Nathan Ludwig with the Iowa State Patrol says they see motorists texting driving every day on Iowa's roadways despite a change in law that makes it … [Read more...]
Law officers put together holiday food packages for the needy
About two dozen Des Moines police officers and Iowa State Patrol troopers packaged Thanksgiving meals at the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines this morning in an event called "Arrest Hunger". It took about 20 minutes for officers to assemble the 150 meal kits that food will be distributed to families … [Read more...]
Five rural counties to be targeted in an effort to reduce accidents
The Governor's Safety Traffic Bureau has identified five Iowa counties it wants to target to try and cut an increase in traffic accidents during the past year. Carroll, Marshall, Benton, Muscatine and Plymouth County are part of the project known as the "High Five Rural Traffic Safety … [Read more...]
Trooper hopes more awareness leads to less texting and driving
Iowa's new distracted driving law is nearly one month old. It allows police to pull drivers over if they are spotted texting behind the wheel. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Alex Dinkla admits it can be difficult for law enforcement officers to see obvious signs of texting - especially on interstates … [Read more...]
State Patrol using several methods to catch texting drivers
The Iowa State Patrol is warning motorists that troopers are getting creative in efforts to enforce the state's new distracted driving law. Trooper Alex Dinkla says drivers should think twice about picking up their cell phone, even if they don't see a marked state patrol vehicle in the … [Read more...]
State Patrol handing out phone signal blockers to help prevent accidents
Studies find one in every four car accidents is caused by texting and driving and it will soon become much easier for Iowa law officers to pull over and ticket texters. Iowa Highway Patrol Sergeant Scott Bright says the state's received a donation of 1,000 signal-blocking devices called CELLslips … [Read more...]
Car stopped near Council Bluffs going 115 in 65 mph zone
The Iowa State Patrol is reporting another "extreme speed" incident. A trooper on Sunday clocked a vehicle on Interstate 80 near Council Bluffs going 115 miles-an-hour in a 65 mph zone. A picture of the radar reading and the car that was pulled over was posted by the Patrol to Facebook. Patrick … [Read more...]