Safety Commitment: Buckle Up Phone Down

 
SAFETY—Keep citizens and employees safe

Improve Safety Culture

MoDOT has established wide-reaching safety programs, including Buckle Up Phone Down and Behavior Based Safety, which will be continued. Other initiatives, such as the development of statewide standard operating procedures for safety will begin in early 2018.

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Buckle Up Phone Down

In 2016, 947 people were killed in Missouri traffic crashes – six out of ten of those fatalities were unbuckled. In a survey that same year, seven out of ten admitted using a smart phone while driving.

Buckle Up Phone Down Website

Ninety-four percent of crashes are caused by some form of human error including distracted driving. Currently, Missouri has a “no texting” law for drivers under 21 years old but nothing for drivers older than that. Reported crashes involving cell phones rose 11 percent in 2016. Texting increases the risk of a car crash by 50%. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for nearly five seconds. At 55 mph, that is the same as driving the length of an entire football field blindfolded.

In 2017, MoDOT introduced the “Buckle Up Phone Down” campaign. The campaign is as simple as its four word title. In conjunction with the Coalition for Roadway Safety, MoDOT has challenged Missouri motorists and businesses to pledge to use seatbelts on any vehicle in motion on Missouri roads while setting their phones aside for a less distracting time to talk or text. At the time of this printing, more than 2,400 individuals and nearly 400 companies have accepted the challenge.

Missouri Highway Traffic Crash Statistics
People Killed in Traffic Crashes
947
Fatalties Were Unbuckled
60%
Based on 2016 data