329 people died in Iowa due to traffic accidents in 2017

Iowa saw a drop in road fatalities this year.

Statistics from the Iowa Department of Transportation show that 329 people died in traffic-related incidents in 2017, as of Dec. 29. That's a substantial decrease from 2016, when the DOT recorded 398 road fatalities.

The downward trend in traffic deaths comes after a jump between 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Iowa had 315 fatalities.

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But Sgt. Nathan Ludwig of the Iowa Safety Patrol said so many factors come into play that it can be challenging to determine why the changes occurred.

He has some ideas about the decrease, though: Ludwig said a new state law that cracked down on texting while driving may have helped avoid deadly collisions.

The law, which went into effect on July 1, allows police officers to issue a ticket when they see someone texting behind the wheel. Under the old law, motorists could be ticketed for texting only if they had committed another offense, such as speeding or running a red light.

"There's a lot of factors that play into it, but I do think the new law may have a little bit to do with it," Ludwig said.

Ludwig also said the lack of snowfall in 2017 (except for heavy snow and winds on Thursday and Friday) may have helped avoid some fatalities.

"Our hope is to see that number go down each year," he said.