Missourians for Responsible Transportation takes the Buckle Up, Phone Down pledge as an organization
The Buckle Up, Phone Down (BUPD) Campaign is a statewide campaign launched by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety that aims to raise awareness for safe driver behavior. They primarily seek to encourage use of seatbelts, while discouraging use of handheld devices such as cellphones while driving. According to MoDOT, “While only 13 percent of Missourians aren't buckling up, nearly two-thirds of people killed in crashes in the state are unbuckled. In addition, cellphone related crashes in Missouri have increased more than 35 percent since 2014.”
As part of the BUPD Campaign, MoDOT is challenging individuals and organizations to pledge to put down your phone while driving cars. MRT meets the Gold Standard, according to the Buckle Up, Phone Down Campaign. You can find our logo amongst dozens of others on the BUPD pledge website, where you can make your own pledge. To meet the BUPD Gold Standard, your organization needs to meet the following criteria:
MRT is committed to ending distracted driving in Missouri. We support and help lead the efforts of Missouri's Hands-Free Coalition, a partnership comprising state highway department employees, insurance personnel, safety advocates, victim's advocates, and law enforcement officers fighting for safer roads through the passage of distracted driving legislation. Furthermore, MRT made the BUPD pledge not only out of support for ending distracted driving in Missouri, but because safe driving practices are written into our organization’s staff manual, which establishes our Transportation Policy. Every day at MRT, we attest to this pledge:
Distraction-Free Driving
Texting, using a cell phone, or using any electronic device while driving increases the risk of a traffic crash. Using a hands-free device causes similar cognitive distraction as using a handheld device, and offers no safety benefit when driving.
Local Motion employees must refrain from using cell phones or other handheld digital devices while driving a motor vehicle on company business. Employees must not initiate or respond to phone calls, participate in teleconferences (ie Zoom or Google Meet), or read or respond to text messages or emails while driving a vehicle. Employees also may not use a hands-free device while driving. Employees who need to use a phone or other device while on the road must first park the vehicle in a safe location.
Local Motion employees will not participate in teleconferences during which other participants are driving. Employees should contact the person organizing the meeting to explain the reason behind non-participation.
As a limited exception, an employee may use a cell phone or other device in a moving vehicle ONLY in an emergency situation which requires immediate communication to avoid injury or death to self or others, or to avoid other dangerous conditions.
We encourage other organizations to adopt safe driving policies as part of their standard staff policy procedure, to encourage safe driving behaviors for staff members. Feel free to copy our policy, or adopt policy that meets the BUPD Gold Standard that is unique to your mission.
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Accept the challenge as an individual or a business/org: http://www2.modot.org/BuckleUpPhoneDown/
Learn more about the Buckle Up, Phone Down Campaign here: https://www.ghsa.org/resources/MO-BUPD18#:~:text=BUPD%20is%20a%20statewide%20initiative,off%20if%20you%20have%20to.
To connect with the Missouri Hands-Free Coalition, follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandsFreeMissouri
