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(Des Moines, IA) -- A new Iowa law protects all pedestrians while in a crosswalk, closing a "loophole" that left cyclists, people using wheelchairs, and others at risk.
“A mother with a baby in a stroller is a good example, or any parent pushing a baby through a crosswalk,” said Iowa Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Luke Hoffman. “The parent would be protected, but the baby in the stroller would not.”
Drivers are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk in Iowa; however, prior to the passage of House File 2568, state law referred to pedestrians as people on foot.
Iowa law now covers all crosswalk users, redefining the term pedestrian as "a person afoot or a person using a pedestrian conveyance," such as a bicycle, stroller, wheelchair, etc.
"Whether you are out on the trails as a cyclist, a person with disabilities in a wheelchair, a senior citizen on an electric scooter, a kid on a skateboard, or a parent with a baby in a stroller, it's a win for all Iowans," said Hoffman. "No matter if you are traveling in a car, by foot or by bike, your safety matters."