On Saturday, you can now get a ticket for texting while driving in Iowa. A new law passed this past legislative session make upgrades the activity to a primary offense.
According to the law, you won't be able to read or send text messages, if you are caught, the penalty could be $30 or more. If you are texting and driving and are involved in a fatality accident, you could be charged with motor vehicle homicide and could spend up to 10 years in prison.
“You can pull up right next to them and see them doing it, but other than that you can meet them on the highway and see them that their heads are down towards the console or lap or whatever and for the most part assume what they are doing,” said Pottawattamie County Lt. Rob Ambrose.
But sometimes proving the person violated the law could become difficult.
“I think as the law comes into effect, we’ll communicate with the prosecutors and come up with a way of proving that and a system on how we are going to go about that,” said Ambrose.
Many people 3 News Now talked with agree this law is the way to go.
“I believe it’s due time for the Iowa law to come into effect this weekend,” said Iowa resident Mel McKern, “I think it’s very dangerous, it puts a lot of people at risk, not just the person who is texting but anyone on the road.”
The law also states you can still use your phone to call someone and for a GPS hands-free system.
