Lawmakers make another bid to ban handling a cell phone while driving

DES MOINES — A bill to make it illegal for motorists to drive with a smart phone in their hand has emerged in the Iowa legislature again this year.

Susan Daemon is a lobbyist with the Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association — a group that’s been supporting this move for years.

“We appreciate the step that was taken a few years ago, but it really is hard to enforce,” Daemon says, “and this would make our laws more enforcebable and, we believe, make our roadways safer.”

A bill that would establish a $30 fine for those caught using a cell phone while driving has cleared a Senate subcommittee. A bill setting up a $100 fine for smart phone use behind the wheel stalled in the senate last year.