Drivers: Put down that phone or risk a fine beginning July 1 [View all]

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/