Henry County residents lobby for tougher distracted driving laws

DES MOINES — The Iowa Senate overwhelmingly passed Senate File 22 on Tuesday in a 47-1 vote, pushing forward legislation that would prohibit the use of cellphones while driving unless operated in a hands-free or voice-activated mode.

The bill expands on the 2017 law that banned texting while driving but still allowed other forms of cellphone use, such as dialing numbers, scrolling through apps, and using social media.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has voiced strong support for the measure, emphasizing the risks of distracted driving.

“For the sake of all our loved ones on the road, let's finally pass legislation that requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road and away from their phones,” Reynolds said in her annual Condition of the State address.

Sen. Mark Lofgren, who led the bill through the Senate, expressed optimism about its chances in the House.

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“Judi Collora and a lot of her colleagues have been at the Capitol, and we’ve talked about distracted driving, and I appreciate all of her work,” Lofgren said.

After spending time at the Capitol advocating for the hands-free driving bill, Judi Collora, a Henry County resident, spoke before the Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board of Education on March 10, sharing the personal toll distracted driving has taken on her family.

“Berta [Pearson] and I decided we were going to go to the statehouse and we were going to help lobby for this bill that Sen. Lofgren put forth again,” Collora told the board.

Collora's 30-year-old daughter was killed in August 2023 when a driver who was speeding and using their phone struck her. The loss has fueled her advocacy to ensure no other families experience the same heartbreak.

She is joined in her fight by Berta Pearson, another Mt. Pleasant resident who lost her grandson, Pearson Franklin, to a distracted driver. Franklin, a graduate of Mt. Pleasant Community High School, was working construction on the Illinois side of the Great River Bridge when he and a coworker were hit and killed by a driver who was on her phone.

“I know Pearson was totally against people being on phones while driving,” his father, Tom Franklin, said. “As a matter of fact, he had a little device in his car that you would plug your phone into so that if somebody called, then it would answer through his radio, so he didn't have to mess with it. It was hands-free.”

Franklin believes distracted driving due to cellphones should be taken as seriously as driving drunk.

The Illinois court that oversaw the conviction of the driver Emily Johnson in Pearson’s case appeared to agree with Frankling when they convicted her of two counts of negligent homicide.

This conviction marked a significant legal precedent, as Illinois had never previously charged someone with negligent homicide solely for cellphone-related distracted driving. Such charges had traditionally been reserved for those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Pearson’s father describes distracted driving as “virtually impaired,” arguing that it is even more dangerous than drunk driving.

“I would call it worse than drunk driving,” he said. “Drunk driving — you might be drunk or having a little buzz, but you're looking at the road. As a matter of fact, you're looking at it because you want to make sure you don't pass any cops up or something like that. You know, you want to make sure all your lights are working and everything is good.”

“When you're on your phone sober — sober as can be — you are more oblivious than you are if you were drinking at night driving down the road,” he continued.

Franklin believes social media apps should be shut off while driving despite understanding the importance of communication.

He argues that texting and social media apps create an addiction, impairing drivers' ability to pay attention to the road. He believes police officers should be able to stop drivers they see using their phones, just as they would if they spotted someone drinking behind the wheel.

“If they weave across the center line, police can pull them over and do a field sobriety test and write a DUI and arrest them if test results fail,” Franklin said. “They can do the same with phones. If you are on your phone and cross the center line, you are voluntarily putting the public at risk. They can pull them over, write them a ticket and even confiscate their phone.”

Tom Franklin also believes app companies should bear some responsibility for the problem.

“You also need to make laws where innocent victims’ families are allowed to sue the app companies. They need to be held accountable for the part they play in these addictions,” he said.

He suggested that insurance companies and automakers collaborate to develop technology that automatically disables nonessential phone functions while a vehicle is in motion.

“If drinking and driving is not a privacy issue, then neither is being on your phone texting and driving while on a public road,” Franklin argued. “How many lives must be destroyed before changes are made?”

With Senate File 22 expected to pass in the Iowa House, Collora and Pearson are shifting their focus toward education — specifically, how young drivers will be taught about the law and its consequences.

“How are we going to teach them about this new law? Because it changes things,” Collora said. “You know, they’re not going to be able to use the phone to talk on, and they won’t be able to use the phone to text.”

She believes young drivers should be educated not just on what the law says, but why it was necessary.

“The statistics say that every state that has adopted a hands-free law the first year, we'll see a 22 to 38% decrease in the number of people that are killed by distracted driving,” Collora stated. “And that is huge. I think that many times you can save lives.”

Data from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) underscores the dangers of distracted driving. In 2022, Iowa saw 1,034 crashes caused by drivers using electronic devices, leading to six deaths and 446 injuries. The broader issue of distracted or inattentive driving accounted for 9,201 crashes, 20 fatalities, and 3,652 injuries that same year.

Lofgren highlighted the alarming consequences of distracted driving, noting, “Those driving distracted are actually six times more likely to have an accident than those driving drunk.”

For families who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving, the statistics serve as painful reminders of the devastation caused by those who fail to put their phones down while behind the wheel.

With strong legislative and public support, Senate File 22 appears poised for passage, marking a major step forward in Iowa’s fight against distracted driving.

For families like those of Judi Collora, Berta Pearson, and Tom Franklin, it’s not just about passing a law — it’s about saving lives.

“We know it won’t stop it 100%, but if we can save one life, it’s worth it,” Tom Franklin said. “Allow peace officers to do their job. If they see a face looking at a phone, give them the ability to pull them over and cite them. It’s the right thing to do.”

Mt. Pleasant High School intern at the Southeast Iowa Union Anthony Feehan contributed to this article.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com