DES MOINES, Iowa — A statewide campaign has launched advocating a full hands-free driving law in Iowa. According to Iowa DOT crash data, distracted driving crashes have increased by 43 percent over the last decade. Yet, a hands-free bill has repeatedly failed in the Iowa legislature since 2019.

Just last year, the Iowa senate passed the legislation, but it ultimately failed in the House.

Yet, the End Distracted Driving Iowa Coalition isn’t giving up and is hoping to make Iowa roads safer through the passage of legislation in the 2025 legislative session that prevents drivers from using their phones while driving.

“I see this as no different than drinking and driving or texting while driving. This is a logical extension of that and would really help complete the picture as far as equipping law enforcement to do what they need to do to do their job,” said Luke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.

The coalition is comprised of more than 20 organizations representing law enforcement, healthcare, business, insurance, and state agencies.

Hoffman says this legislation would help to save lives, saying “For Iowa specifically, if there was just a 10 percent reduction if we were to pass this law today, that would be 700 fewer crashes and it would mean six lives saved, and 1,000 fewer accidents of distracted driving in the state of Iowa.”