You Can Get Pulled Over For This In Davenport, But You Might Not Get A Ticket
Most Iowa residents are aware that the state's new texting while driving law took effect on July 1. The law now allows police to pull you over if they believe you're texting and they don't need another reason. But according to the Quad City Times, Scott County police are having a difficult time issuing citations for the offense.
No warnings or citations have been written by the Sheriff's Office or Davenport PD since the law took effect because talking on the phone and using navigation while driving is still legal in Iowa, making texting while driving hard to prove.
This is a major reason why police have been utilizing different tactics, such as using unmarked vehicles and disguising themselves to catch drivers in the act. Even if you're pulled over, however, Davenport Police said that the officer would have to "prove beyond a reasonable doubt" that you were texting in order to give a citation.
That shouldn't give you a free pass to text while driving though. Just because they haven't issued any citations yet doesn't mean you can avoid a ticket. The safest thing to do is avoid texting at all times while driving, and be smart about using navigation, too. Distracted driving, and especially using your phone, is no joke and triples your risk of getting into a crash, says the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau.