Iowa, It’s Illegal To Warn Other Drivers About Deer On The Road

The weather is getting warmer and the wildlife in Iowa is waking up from a long winter nap. Deer, raccoons, groundhogs, and other animals are cutting across busy roadways.

When I see an animal on the side of the road or in the middle of it, I typically try to warn my fellow motorists by flashing my high beams. Doing that is actually against the law.

Typically, when we talk about flashing your high beams or your "brights" at someone, we're talking about warning other drivers about a police speed trap. Whether it's police or deer, you can get in trouble for trying to help out your fellow Iowa drivers.

Why You Can't Warn Iowa Drivers About Deer

I highly doubt that state troopers, sheriff's officers, or police in Iowa will pull you over for letting other drivers know about deer up ahead on the road or near it. But if you want to warn fellow drivers, you have to do it in the confines of the Iowa law.

Iowa Code section 321.415 says, "Whenever a driver of a vehicle approaches an oncoming vehicle within one thousand feet, the driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver." That means if you're more than one thousand feet away from an oncoming car, flash those brights all you want. If you're behind someone, you have to turn them off within 400 feet.

Unfortunately, you sometimes see a deer well after that thousand-foot mark. If you feel like it's appropriate to warn fellow drivers, I'm sure they won't hate you for it. If that car you warned is a cop and pulls you over, let the officer know and if they aren't cool about it, just remember that you tried to help.