Accept the Challenge – Pass It On
JEFFERSON CITY – Governor Mike Parson has proclaimed Oct. 19 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 cellphones down. Friday, October 19, 2018 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. If you are a driver, put your cellphone down. Turn it off if you have to,” said MoDOT Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Nicole Hood. “Taking the challenge to make sure every passenger is buckled up and choosing not to use your phone while driving can help save your life, the lives of your passengers and the lives of occupants in other vehicles.”
Over 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.
“The loss of one life is one too many, especially when the solution is as simple as buckling up and putting your phone down,” said Hood. “If you have already accepted the challenge, pass it on to those you know at home, work, school or in your community.”
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. ARRIVE ALIVE.
