Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has proclaimed Oct. 19 as BUPD Day in Missouri, and once again the Missouri Department of Transportation is throwing down its challenge for Missourians to buckle up and put their cell phones down.
The day is MoDOT’s second annual Buckle Up Phone Down Day, a time to stand up, accept the challenge and promote roadway safety. Missouri currently has a “no texting” law for drivers 21 years old and younger. But MoDOT and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety are challenging all drivers to honor that ban no matter what their age. By buckling up and putting your phone down, you do your part to make Missouri’s roads safer.
“The challenge is simple: when you get into any vehicle, buckle up your safety belt,” said MoDOT Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Nicole Hood. “If you are a driver, put your cellphone down. Turn it off if you have to.”
More than 90 percent of serious crashes are caused by some form of human error. Texting while driving increases the risk of a car crash by 50 percent and as of Sept. 30, 61 percent of 2018 fatalities involved unbuckled drivers or passengers who may have survived if they had been properly restrained.
Events to commemorate Buckle Up Phone Down Day and to encourage Missourians to accept the BUPD Challenge have been planned at various locations throughout the state. For more information on what is happening near you, go to www.modot.org/buckleupphonedown.