This 31 minute Iowa Public Radio segment on "River to River" with Lindsey Moon, Ben Kieffer & Rob Dillard played today (May 9th) about our safety as cyclists as why Iowa laws are failing us.
Assistant Attorney General: Iowa Law Fails to Protect Cyclists
An assistant Iowa attorney general is calling on state lawmakers to
take action next session on laws to protect bicyclists on Iowa roadways.
Iowa Assistant Attorney General Pete Grady says current law makes it
nearly impossible to prove recklessness in cases where drivers hit
bicyclists.
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At present, Grady says prosecutors need to show the vehicle operators knew their actions would cause harm.
"I
don’t think anyone would define reckless behavior as requiring a better
than 50 percent outcome for danger or harm, but that’s the standard we
have here in Iowa," he says.
The Iowa legislature failed to pass
a bill during the 2016 session that would have required drivers to
change lanes entirely to pass a cyclist on Iowa's roadways.
"We
had bills filed in 2015, 2011, 2008, and we haven’t had any movement on
bicycle safety laws in any of those sessions of the Legislature," he
says.
During this hour ofRiver to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with Grady.
Mackenzie
Elmer, a breaking news reporter with the Des Moines Register, and
Assistant Mitchell County Attorney Aaron Murphy also join the
conversation.
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