Branstad wants to address traffic, cyclist fatalities

Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday that addressing cyclist and traffic fatalities will be “one of the major issues” he’ll discuss in January’s State of the State address in which he lays out his legislative priorities for the year.

His comments come just one day after a cyclist was killed by a motorist in Glenwood, bringing the number of bikers killed by drivers across the state to a 10-year high. And although it’s prompted a renewed call from Iowa’s cycling community for new protections for bikers, Branstad said he views the problem more broadly.

“We’ve seen not only an increase in the deaths of cyclists, bicyclists (and) motorcyclists, but also motorists,” he said. “And I do want to see us address those issues.”

Branstad cited distracted, drowsy and intoxicated drivers as major causes of accidents overall. Finding ways to combat those problems will help protect bikers and others, he said.

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“It’s really a tragic situation when you have somebody that’s killed needlessly because somebody is either under the influence or distracted or for whatever reason,” he said. “We want to try to do everything we can to protect the bicyclists, the motorcyclists and everybody else.”

Wayne Ezell of Jacksonville, Fla., became the ninth biker killed in collisions with vehicles this year in Iowa when he was struck by a pickup truck early Sunday morning while participating in the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. That’s more than double the number of fatalities in 2015 and it’s the highest total number since 2005, when motorists killed 11 people.

State data also show the number of deaths resulting from intoxicated drivers has risen from 114 in 2012 to 123 in 2015.

“When we talk about fatalities in general, it’s the distracted driving, the drugged driving, the drunk driving and the drowsy driving that seems to be the problem,” said Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Roxann Ryan. “And of course, for bicyclists, they are always at a disadvantage when it’s any kind of vehicle that causes issues.”

The Department of Public Safety has convened a task force to study Iowa’s traffic fatalities, and it will issue recommendations next month. Among the things the group is considering, Branstad said, is a ban on the use of cellphones while driving.

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A bill that would have made texting while driving a primary offense died in the Republican-controlled House during the 2015 legislative session, though it cleared the Senate.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Josh Byrnes, R-Osage, said much of the Republican opposition to the measure stemmed from a desire for fewer government regulations.

“I get that,” he said Monday. “But at the same time, that’s one of our essential functions is public safety. So we should be taking a look at things like that.”

He said having Branstad highlight the issue as a priority during a State of the State address may help persuade the Legislature to act in 2017.

Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said his organization will continue to push for legislation protecting cyclists.

“I think it’s alarming the number (of fatalities) that we’re at right now,” he said. “Other states that are more populous than Iowa, Wisconsin for example, have less fatalities. And that’s a big concern …”

He said he would like to see current law clarified to make it clear that drivers must change lanes when passing a bicyclist. Legislation making that change died in the Iowa House during the previous session, though it was passed by the Senate. Wyatt said he plans to revive the issue when the Legislature returns in January.

Also on his group’s agenda is a push for changes to the state’s reckless driving laws. Currently, driving is only considered reckless if the driver is drunk, high, drag racing or fleeing from police. That makes it difficult to secure a vehicular homicide charge when a driver is distracted by something like texting.

“Vehicular homicide is pretty narrowly defined in Iowa,” Wyatt said. “So that’s another thing we’d like to look at and start that discussion.”

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