A NEW law set to impact drivers and how they use their cellphones will come into force in weeks – and offenders are at risk of hefty fines.
Guilty drivers could be slapped with penalties up to $1,000 and even receive points on their licenses if they fall foul of the new measure.
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The law, which will come into force on July 1, is an effort to tackle distracted driving and clamp down on those using cell phones.
Under the terms of the law, road users must have it in hands free mode.
Drivers will get a grace period that spans six months under the terms of the bill, as reported by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Offenders will be first issued with a warning until January 2026.
But, they will be slapped with a penalty of $100.
But, if a distracted driver sparks an accident that causes injury, the fine will increase to $500.
If the driver causes the death of a person, then they will be slapped with a $1,000 penalty.
The bill was signed by Iowa governor Kim Reynolds into law in April.
Peter Bengston, whose daughter Ellen was killed by a distracted driver, described the issue as an “epidemic.”
“This is an epidemic beyond compare for public safety,” he told the ABC affiliate KCRG-TV.
“We need to do something about it and this legislation gets us closer to it.
“You don’t want to be on the side of the situation where you lose a loved one, and I can’t imagine you want to be the person behind the wheel who knew that you made a bad choice and you killed other people or maimed them.”
Reynolds believes the law will “save lives.”
The bill was signed into law just weeks after it was passed in the state legislature.
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
Only one state senator voted against the bill.
Dozens of states have brought in laws cracking down on distracted driving.
Drivers in Ohio are banned from using handheld devices while behind the wheel thanks to a 2023 law.
And, drivers could be slapped with not only fines, but points on their licenses.
The most serious offenses could see drivers have their licenses suspended.
Drivers who offend for the first time within a two-year period could get a fine up to $150.
The penalties increase per the number of offenses.
Drivers are not only banned from dialing phone numbers, as well as browsing on social media.
There are exceptions, however.
Drivers can still use Bluetooth devices and can take calls via Apple Watches and earphones.
Meanwhile, drivers in Texas are banned from sending messages while behind the wheel.
And, drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while in their cars.
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