(Radio Iowa) – The spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol says many people are following the new hands-free cell phone law since law enforcement went from warnings to tickets. Sergeant Alex Dinkla says many other motorists are still using their devices while driving. “January 1st to March 1st is 2,417, and that is for all law enforcement agencies in the state of Iowa,” he says. Dinkla says there have also been some 19-hundred warnings written this year. He says there is no doubt that the law has improved safety on the roadways.”We are seeing a reduction in fatalities by month. And so that is telling us that there is a direct correlation between the using of the cell phones and the electronic devices and not using those devices,” he says.

Dinkla says there are many people who aren’t following the law that haven’t been ticketed. “There is a very small tip of the iceberg that we are even stopping and coming across,” he says. “I can tell you there’s many days that we drive around when we’re not in our patrol car that we continue to see these folks violating this law.” He says that’s case with other laws, like speeding, and he says they will continue reminding motorists about the hands-free law. “We want to make sure that we still educate those folks and we remind everyone anytime we can, put the phone down, drive safe and buckle up,” Dinkla says.

The fine for handling a cell phone while driving is 100 dollars.