A bill moving through the Iowa Legislature would allow state and local law enforcement officers to immediately confiscate a driver’s license after stopping a vehicle traveling more than 100 miles per hour.
Sen. Mark Lofgren, a Republican from Muscatine, says there is no justification for driving at that speed and recent enforcement numbers are concerning. State troopers, police departments and county sheriff’s offices cited about 2,000 drivers last year for traveling at triple-digit speeds.
Under the proposal, an officer would seize the driver’s license at the traffic stop, issue a temporary 10-day license, and forward the license to the Iowa Department of Transportation. The DOT would then be required to revoke the driver’s license for 30 days once the paperwork is processed, though an appeals process would be available.
The bill would also classify driving 20 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit as reckless driving and make the offense a simple misdemeanor.
