The Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety are challenging Missouri businesses and private individuals to buckle up and put their phones down. The hope is to get private industry to openly support employee safety, either through internal safety campaigns or actually changing policy banning cellphone use in company vehicles and making safety belts mandatory.
BlueScope Construction, an industrial building general contractor, is having its Kansas City-based work force photographed this Thursday, May 11, in support of the initiative. Working with their parent company, BlueScope Buildings North America, and sister company Butler Manufacturing, BlueScope expects to have between 300-400 participants in the photo shoot.
BlueScope Construction’s focus on safety was one the major reasons they wanted to support the Buckle Up Phone Down initiative. BlueScope currently has a cell phone policy that requires drivers to not use the cell phone while driving on company business. This initiative expands the policy to include personal driving and pledging to buckle up.
“We are so excited to see Kansas City area businesses joining us in our focus to keep everyone safer on our roads,” said District Engineer Don Wichern. “This is the largest group we’ve had in KC and we’re thrilled with such a huge display of support.”
The Buckle Up/Phone Down campaign is tackling the two most impactful actions a driver can take to prevent or survive crashes. First, drivers can put their phones down when they drive. Distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes, both in Missouri, and the United States. Secondly, everyone should buckle up every time they get in a vehicle. Of the 938 people killed on Missouri’s roadways last year, 62 percent of them were unrestrained. Statistics show that these two policy changes could have an impact on both incidents and highway fatalities.
The Buckle Up/Phone Down Challenge is trying to change these numbers. Videos, social media posts and a dedicated website feature citizens and employees of participating businesses giving the “thumbs up/thumbs down” sign to show their support of the effort.
The website is located at www.modot.org/BuckleUpPhoneDown and features the Wall of Fame where participating businesses and agencies can display their logos to show their support.
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Event Time and Place:
BlueScope Construction, Inc. 1540 Genessee Street Kansas City, MO 64102 Thursday, May 11th, 2 PM Photo will be taken in front of facility. In case of inclement weather, photo will be taken in lobby. Media are invited to attend. For more info, contact
Marcy Irwin | Marketing Manager at 816-245-4962