Cell phones have become a near necessity in the lives of Americans all  over the nation. People are constantly texting, dialing, emailing and  whatever else they can do with the technology of the new devices. Starting on February 19th, a new law in Dubuque made the use of cell phones while driving illegal. After a 30 day grace period, driving while using your cell phone could cost you anywhere from $50 – $250 depending on the situation. According to Lieutenant Scott Baxter of the Dubuque County Police Department, some people are clearly choosing their cell phones over the law. Lieutenant Baxter says that during the first weekend the police department wrote 32 violations regarding cell phone usage.

Some people in Dubuque are not so happy with the recent passing of the cell phone ban. While some community members think that Dubuque has bigger things to be worried about there are others that are happy with the ban and think it couldn’t have been passed at a better time.

While there are a number of disagreements regarding the law, most people can agree on at least one thing that should be banned: texting. Right now the state of Iowa is considering a law that will ban only texting but still allow talking on your cell phone while you drive. According to Lieutenant Baxter, if the state law against texting gets passed it will override Dubuque’s law banning all cell phone usage.

For now, in order to use a cell phone while in the car, drivers must be using a hands free device such as the Bluetooth (R). Keep checking Myduhawk.com for updates on cell phone laws in Iowa and in Dubuque.