Iowa Hands-Free Traffic Enforcement Results Shows “Hard Habit to Break”

Almost 900 citations and warnings were issued across the state during last week’s special traffic project focused on violations of Iowa’s new Hands-Free law.

As part of April Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) partnered with the Central Iowa Traffic Safety Task Force (CITSTF), and local and state law enforcement agencies across the state to enforce Iowa’s Hands-Free Driving Law. From April 6-10, the goal was educating drivers about the importance of driving distraction-free.

Over the project period, law enforcement across the state issued 551 hands-free citations and 329 hands-free warnings for a total of 880 hands-free driver violations.

The GTSB says last week’s special enforcement traffic project brought the total hands-free numbers to more than 3,600 citations and 3,100 warnings issued since the citation period began on January 1, 2026.

Drivers are still adjusting to the new law, according to Trooper Tom Williams with the Iowa State Patrol’s Mason City District office.

The law prohibits the use of electronic devices beyond a single touch while driving unless they are used in a hands-free mode. The passing of this law is a key factor that contributed to the historic low number of traffic fatalities recorded in 2025.