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Rules of the Road
Rules of the Road #1 -- Use of Seat Belts Required
Iowa law requires the drive and any front seat occupant of a motor vehicle to wear a properly adjusted and fastened belt or safety harness any time the vehicle is in forward motion on a street or highway in this state. The driver and passengers may be charged separately for violations of the seatbelt law.
Rules of the Road #2 -- Open Container
Iowa law states that a person driving a motor vehicle on a public street or highway shall not possess an open on unsealed container of alcoholic beverage in the vehicle, with the intent to consume it. If caught violating this law, the driver may be arrested and taken to jail.
Rules of the Road #3 -- Following too closely
Iowa law states that a driver shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having regard for speed, traffic, and condition of the highway. Two seconds is commonly regarded as a safe following distance in most driving conditions.
Rules of the Road #4 -- Proper Stops
Iowa law requires the driver of a motor vehicle to come to a full and complete stop at each stop sign or stop light, and yield to traffic before proceeding. Failure to do so is the fourth leading cause of accidents in the State of Iowa. Rolling stops are a bad habit and cause accidents and injuries.
Rules of the Road #5 -- Rules for Bicycle Safety
Iowa law states that a person riding a bicycle is subject to the same traffic laws and has all of the rights and duties as the driver of a motor vehicle. Bicyclists should ride on the right side of the road in single file, and must obey all traffic signs, signals and road markings.
Rules of the Road #6 -- Proper Display of Plates
Iowa law states that license plates issued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or truck tractor shall be attached to the vehicle one in the front and the other in the rear. Additionally, it is unlawful for the owner of a vehicle to place any frame around or over the plate which does not permit full view of all numerals printed on the plate.
Rules of the Road #7-- Driving While Suspended or Revoked
Iowa law states that a person who operates a motor vehicle upon the roadways of this state while their driving privileges have been denied, canceled, suspended or revoked, commits a serious misdemeanor. That means if you are caught doing so, you will likely be arrested and taken to jail.
Rules of the Road #8 -- School Bus Stop Arms
Iowa law requires the driver of a vehicle meeting a school bus with is amber warning lamps flashing to reduce the vehicle's speed to not more than 20 mph, and to bring the vehicle to a stop when the school bus stops and the stop arm is extended.
The vehicle shall remain stopped until the stop signal is retracted, after which the driver may proceed with due caution.
Rules of the Road #9 -- Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalk
Iowa law requires the driver of a motor vehicle to yield the right of way by slowing down or stopping for a pedestrian crossing the roadway where traffic controls are not in place within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Pedestrians, however must yield to vehicles outside of this area.