As pedestrian deaths rise, Iowa considers hands-free driving bill
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Iowa lawmakers could advance a bill to the governor's desk as early as next week to criminalize most handheld cellphone use while driving.
Why it matters: Pedestrian deaths in Iowa jumped roughly 36% in the first half of 2024 compared with the first half of 2023, bucking a national trend in which most states reported fewer.
By the numbers: 3,304 pedestrians were killed on roads nationwide between January and June 2024, per a new Governors Highway Safety Association preliminary report.
- That's 88 fewer deaths than during the same period in 2023, but 1,072 more than during the same period in 2014.
Stunning stat: "Between the first half of 2014 and 2024, pedestrian deaths have risen at a rate almost seven times faster than population growth," the report found.
Zoom in: There were 15 such deaths in Iowa in the first half of last year, per the report.
- That was four more than in the same period in 2022 and 2023.
Reality check: Despite the increase, Iowa's pedestrian fatality rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents was the 11th lowest in the latest report, tied with Vermont and Massachusetts.
Yes, but: That was up from the same period in 2023, when Iowa had the sixth-lowest rate, 0.34 per 100,000, according to the report.
What they're saying: The prevalence of smartphone usage is "inextricably linked" with pedestrian fatalities, which more than 30 states have recognized by adopting hands-free laws, Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, tells Axios.
- Iowa closed a legal loophole last year that excluded drivers who hit people on bikes, in strollers or in wheelchairs from the same consequences as those who injure pedestrians, a move Hoffman described as crucial for improving safety.
What's next: The Iowa Senate approved the ban this week and the House could vote as early as Monday.
- Gov. Kim Reynolds called for hands-free driving in her Condition of the State Address this year.