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WEBVTT Whether it's someone on the interstate clearly texting... Or a driver on a city stree chatting away ... <ROAD NAT POP> You don't have to look too har to spot distracted driving. Michigander Dan Kozera saw plenty of it driving through the Hawkeye State on I-80. <09;44 A LO PHONES, PEOPLE ON THE PHONES, LOOKING DOWN, AND A LOT PRETTY GOOD SPEEDS. 09;51> The Iowa State Patrol says distracted driving is leading to a big jump in crashes. Compared to this time last year statewide -- we've seen 300 more wrecks. While they don't have an exact percentage -- troopers attribute most to distracted driving. <00;42 IT'S SO FRUSTRATING TO GO UP AND DOWN THIS INTERSTATE AND SEE PEOPLE GRABBING THEIR PHONE 47> <NAT POP> Texting or talking while driving without using hands-free is illegal in Iowa...even at a stoplight. But "distract driving" isn't just limited to phones...as this video taken from a trooper's dashcam in July shows. You see this SUV narrowly miss hitting the patrol car. Why? <02;08 THIS DRVR WS NOT TXTING AT THE TIME BUT WAS DISTRACTED BY PPL IN HIS VEHICLE, MADE AN UNSAFE LANE CHANGE AND ALMOST HIT A STATE TROOPER HERE ON 235. 02;19> But phones do seem to be troopers' biggest concern. <01;33 BU UNTIL YOU GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS TO PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR PHONE DOWN FOR THAT 10 TO 15 MINUTE COMMUTE AROUND THE METRO HERE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS JUST SHUT IT OFF AND THROW IT IN YOUR PASSENGERS SEAT UNTIL YOU GET TO WORK 01;43> <10;02 YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL OUT T

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Iowa is seeing a big rise in the number of car crashes, and troopers said distracted driving is fueling the dangerous trend. And it's not just cellphone use behind the wheel that's the culprit.Whether it's someone on the interstate clearly texting or a driver on a city street chatting away, you don't have to look too hard to spot distracted driving.Grand Rapids, Michigan, resident Dan Kozera saw plenty of it driving through the Hawkeye State on Interstate 80."A lot of phones, people on the phones, looking down, and a lot of pretty good speeds," Kozera said.Iowa State Patrol troopers said distracted driving is leading to a big jump in crashes. Compared to this time last year there have been 300 more wrecks across the state. As of Thursday, state troopers have covered 3,484 collisions, a majority of which were caused by distracted driving.While they don't have an exact percentage, troopers attribute most to distracted driving."It's so frustrating to go up and down this interstate and see people grabbing their phone," Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig said.Texting while driving is illegal in Iowa, even at a stoplight.But distracted driving isn't just limited to phones. Video taken in July from a trooper's dashcam shows an SUV narrowly missing hitting the patrol car as the driver was distracted by people in his vehicle, Ludwig said. The driver "made an unsafe lane change and almost hit a state trooper here on (Interstate) 235," he said.But phones do seem to be troopers' biggest concern."Until you get that message across to people to put their phone down for that 10- to 15-minute commute around the metro here," Ludwig said. "The bottom line is just shut it off and throw it in your passenger's seat until you get to work.""You gotta be careful out there," Kozera said.Except in fatal crashes, where troopers will often subpoena cellphone data, Ludwig said driver honesty is how they typically find out about distraction.Texting while driving, which is a primary offense, can set you back $100.