‘This will save lives’: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs hands-free driving bill into law

DES MOINES — Angie Smith knows all too well how deadly distracted driving can be and the nightmare many families must endure.

Two years ago to the day, Smith’s father, Roland Taylor of Terril, Iowa, was driving an antique tractor home on Highway 71 in Clay County when he was hit and killed by a driver who was using his cellphone at the time of the crash.

On Wednesday, Smith wiped away tears and hugged Gov. Kim Reynolds after she signed into law legislation prohibiting the handheld use of an electronic device while driving.

"There's not a better way that we could have honored Dad today," Smith told reporters after the bill signing. "Dad was always about giving, and if this saves one life, he would have been so proud."

With the stroke of several pens, Iowa will join 30 other states that passed laws making it illegal to handle a cellphone while driving, starting July 1.

After years of pushing by families, law enforcement and traffic safety advocates — and failed attempts — House lawmakers last week passed Senate File 22 with broad bipartisan support. The chamber, where previous hands-free driving bills have faltered, passed the legislation 84-11, after the bill passed the Senate 47-1 the week prior.

Senate File 22 will prohibit drivers from using cellphones or electronic devices while driving except in hands-free or voice-activated mode. The legislation does not apply if the vehicle is at a complete stop and off the traveled portion of road.

Iowa law currently prohibits texting while driving, but allows drivers to hold their phones for other purposes, such as making calls or using GPS.

State and local law enforcement officials have pushed to strengthen the law for the better part of the past decade — arguing the state’s prohibition on texting while driving, enacted in 2017, is nearly impossible to enforce because drivers can say they instead were making a call or using the device’s GPS.

Bills limiting cellphone use by mandating voice-activated or hands-free technology while driving have been introduced in the Iowa Legislature since 2019, but all attempts at passage had been unsuccessful.

Governor: This bill will save lives

Reynolds — surrounded by dozens of people during the bill signing ceremony, including families whose loved ones have died in crashes caused by distracted drivers, law enforcement and lawmakers — said the bill “will save lives.”

“It’s especially meaningful that we’re gathered on this day, April 2. Exactly two years ago, Roland Taylor was killed by a distracted driver, and of the nine minutes the driver was in the car, he spent seven on his phone,” she said. “Roland should be in here today and although we grieve his absence, I’m honored to sign the ‘Hands Free’ bill into law in his memory and we do the same for every Iowan killed due to distracted driving.”

Reynolds met Roland’s wife, Gwen, and their daughters Angie and Lisa last summer during a chance encounter at the Clay County Fair.

"My mom stated to the governor, 'We need to do something about a hands-free bill,'" Smith said. "And it caught her attention. And it was very emotional for the governor also, so they reached out to us and have been pushing and supporting ever since."

Reynolds spotlighted the family’s story during her annual Condition of the State Address, where for the first time she publicly pressed lawmakers to pass a hands-free driving bill.

Smith said when Reynolds called her last week to let her know the bill passed the House, she was overwhelmed.

"I just broke down in tears, and I called Mom immediately," she said. "So happy to just know that this is going to save someone else's life, hopefully. That these families will not have to go through this."

Similar laws in states including Alabama, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio have proved effective at reducing crash rates, according to a 2024 report by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Reynolds cited examples from neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois, which saw double-digit reductions in the percentage of crashes caused by distracted drivers in the first two years after enacting hands-free legislation.

The governor cited a recent study that indicated a 10 percent reduction in distracted driving in Iowa could prevent more than 1,200 crashes, 700 injuries and 60 deaths, saving more than $50 million in economic damages.

Father: ‘She had her whole life in front of her’

At the bill signing, Reynolds read a list of names of Iowans who have been killed by distracted drivers.

"I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to their families for being here today and for their tireless advocacy," she said. "I can't imagine how hard it's been to tell and to retell your stories, but your courage will save lives."

One of the names read was Ellen Bengtson.

Ellen Bengtson was riding her bicycle near Charles City on a Sunday afternoon in 2020 when she was killed by a driver who was opening an app on his cellphone.

The driver admitted on video at the scene that he'd been looking at social media on his phone and had not seen her before his Ford F-150 drifted and struck her from behind while going over 55 mph, an Iowa State Patrol crash report stated.

The driver sent text messages telling others he was on his cellphone when the collision occurred, the report said, and that he never saw the 28-year-old chemical engineer riding on the shoulder. Investigators said cellphone data and records back that up.

The driver was charged with reckless homicide by vehicle, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The case seemed open-and-shut. But because Iowa lacked a hands-free-while-driving law, the judge dismissed the case.

The judge and defense attorney focused on whether the driver was manually manipulating his phone at the time of the crash. The judge found there was insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction under the state’s prohibition on texting while driving, enacted in 2017.

“And so he walked free for mowing down my daughter,” said Peter Bengtson, Ellen’s father. “We thought that was an injustice, and we knew that the law had to be changed and improved, and we are so grateful that the governor signed that bill today that it's an opportunity to make Iowa's roads safer.”

He said the last few years have been “a kick to the gut” and a journey of frustration, repeatedly retelling Ellen’s story to lawmakers only to see their efforts fall short.

“When we got confirmation that it had been signed and passed by the House, my wife and I were ecstatic. We were in tears,” Bengtson told reporters. “We just embraced each other in a good way.”

He called Wednesday’s bill signing a “good first step.”

“We need to educate and inform people. This step will give us better opportunity for people in blue law enforcement to enforce and hold accountability and, hopefully, change human behavior,” Bengtson said. “We've become so addicted to our phones. … We need that information out there so that we can have safer roads and see the progress that Minnesota and Illinois made by passing this legislation.”

He said he would have done anything to trade places with his daughter on that 2020 bike ride.

“She had her whole life in front of her. She was 28 years old. Her high school yearbook identified her as a person who would probably most likely cure cancer,” Bengtson said of his daughter. “… She was an amazing musician. She had just finished her master's degree online in chemical engineering from Columbia University during the pandemic. She was plugged into her community. She was active in the Rotary.

“ … This is an experience you don't want to have. You don't want to be on the side of the situation where you lose a loved one, and I can't imagine you want to be the person behind the wheel who knew that you made a bad choice and you killed other people or maimed them. … This is a massive problem. It's only getting worse.”

Distracted driving crashes have increased by 43 percent over the last decade, according to Iowa Department of Transportation crash data.

There were 354 traffic-related deaths in Iowa in 2024, down from the 378 deaths in 2023, but still high compared to previous years. Wrong-way drivers, high speeds, unbuckled seat belts and distracted driving have contributed to those high numbers, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

What the new law does

The bill prohibits any use of electronic devices while driving except when using the device in hands-free mode or with voice-activated commands, including technology built into the car.

Iowa law currently prohibits the use of hand-held devices to write, send or view electronic messages while driving. The bill expands the law to prohibit “holding, viewing or manipulating an electronic device” while driving.

It increases the fine from $45 to $100 and makes it a moving violation that can be considered for purposes of administrative suspension of a driver’s license or to establish habitual offender status. If serious injury or death occurs, the fine would be $500 and $1,000, respectively, and the driver’s license could be suspended.

Police officers would be required to issue warnings until Jan. 1, 2026.

Voice-activated or hands-free mode does not include accessing non-navigational video content, participating in a video call, streaming video, accessing gaming data or reading an electronic message or notification.

The bill provides exceptions when the vehicle is completely stopped, either off the roadway or as far from the center as possible if it can't be moved. There also are exceptions for first responders while on duty and health care professionals in the course of emergency situations.

It also provides exceptions for receiving a weather or emergency alert, reporting an emergency situation, for those operating farm machinery and for certain radio operators, utility workers while in a utility maintenance vehicle, those accessing fleet management systems, and public transit workers and drivers for ride-hailing service like Uber and Lyft while working when the vehicle is not in motion.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com