Drivers: Put down that phone or risk a fine beginning July 1

[TexasTowelie]

A new law to toughen Iowa's ban on texting while driving, generally lauded by law enforcement officials and state legislators, takes effect Saturday.

"You cannot text. You cannot Facebook. You can still make a phone call, but you cannot be actually texting as you drive down the road," said Trooper Alex Dinkla, an Iowa State Patrol spokesman.

But questions from opponents remain about the law's potential negative impacts on minorities and whether the government is trying to micromanage motorists' lives.

“Obviously, it is a terrible idea to text and drive. But how many more laws do we need to pass demonstrating common sense?" said state Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale. "What is this going to come to? Are we going to have to Bubble Wrap everybody?"

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/26/drivers-put-down-phone-risk-fine-beginning-july-1/401584001/

[3catwoman3]

1. Similar recent legislation in Illinois...

...seems to have stopped precisely no one.

[CentralMass]

2. Proposed fines in Oregon could be as high as $2000

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/use_your_phone_will_driving_bi.html

"Under House Bill 2597, Oregon drivers could be fined up to $2000 for using a "mobile electronic device" while on the roads.

Fines for a first offense could total $1000 and be erased if drivers take a state-approved distracted driving avoidance class at their own expense. Subsequent offenses, or a first offense that causes a traffic collision, would result in higher fines that could not be waived.

The bill comes as traffic injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving are on the rise in Oregon and nationwide."