Texting while driving is officially a primary traffic violation in Iowa starting tomorrow, July 1st.

The Iowa State Patrol and AAA are partnering to educate drivers and promote putting cell phones away. According to the two groups, more than two in three drivers report talking on their cell phone while driving in the past month. Also 31.4% of drivers admit to typing or sending a text message or email while driving and 40.2% admit to reading a message while driving in the past month. The groups report that fatalities have risen statewide and nationally over the last few years, and distracted driving has been identified as a significant contributing factor.

An officer can now pull over drivers if they are found to be texting and driving. The ticket is $30.