Stop distracted driving

Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette: Iowa safety officials want drivers to focus on the road, so they’re focusing on putting some teeth into laws regarding distracted driving. We think they’re on the right road.

All sorts of things qualify as distracted driving, of course: Putting on makeup, reaching for food or drink, tuning the radio, talking on the cellphone.

But the chief problem state officials have identified is texting, and Iowa Department of Public Safety officials say they plan to push for ways to strengthen enforcement of current state laws.

They will ask legislators in the coming session to add a distracted-driving subsection to existing law dealing with failure to maintain control of a vehicle, a moving violation with the fine and costs amounting to about $200.

Sgt. Scott Bright, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said the legislative proposal to expand the statute regarding failure to control would make distracted driving a primary offense — meaning an officer could fine the driver for that offense without any other violation occurring.