Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) has declared Tuesday October 29 as the third annual Buckle Up Phone Down day.
The challenge is: when you get into any vehicle, buckle up your safety belt. If you are a driver, put the cell phone down. Turn it off if you have to. Every trip, every time!
Drivers are encouraged to accept the challenge and challenge a friend, relative or members of their community to buckle their seat belts and put their phones down while driving.
In 2017, 932 people were killed in Missouri traffic crashes – 687 were vehicle drivers and passengers, with 64 percent being unbuckled. Reported crashes involving cell phones rose 11 percent in 2017. Cell phone related crashes in Missouri have increased more than 35 percent since 2014.
In cooperation with StopDistractions.org and the University of Missouri, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety are presenting a Missouri Roundtable on Distracted Driving: Act to End Deadly Distractions. The roundtable will take place on Oct. 29 from
9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Stotler Lounge of Memorial Union on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. The public is encouraged to attend.
