This story first appeared in the Gazette’s inaugural Cycling Guide, an annual special section aimed at telling the stories of the businesses, people and local efforts that have made The Corridor a cycling destination.

Commuting on his bike from his Iowa City home to his Coralville office, Matt Burkey sees things.

“I can see into people’s cars,” Burkey said. “They’re on their phones or they’re eating a sandwich. One driver had their knees on the steering wheel … flossing.”

As manager of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition’s Safe Routes to School program, Burkey works with school districts and city governments to identify potential cycling hazards. His daily observation of distracted drivers is a reminder of why only about five percent of students walk or bike to school — most are dropped off by a parent.

“’I don’t want to let my kid walk to school because there are all these cars dropping their kids off,’” Burkey said of parents’ reasoning. “’I’ll drop them off from my car.’”

Burkey is encouraged by Gov. Kim Reynolds’ support for updating the state’s distracted driving law. The coalition has lobbied for years to update the 2017 law, which defined “cell phone use” as simply talking on the phone, meaning scrolling through texts or even online browsing behind the wheel is legal.