Today is Buckle Up, Phone Down Day across the country and the Kansas Department of Transportation wants to challenge all drivers to ditch the distractions and focus on safety.
Across the U.S., more than 42,000 people died in crashes in 2022, and about 50% of those killed in a passenger motor vehicle were not belted or restrained. In Kansas, 410 people died in traffic crashes last year. According to KDOT stats, 156 of those people were reported unbuckled.
Driving distracted is a big concern as well. Last year, more than 13,000 crashes occurred across Kansas because drivers were inattentive or were sidetracked by cell phones, eating, applying makeup, or people in the vehicle. Those crashes resulted in 98 fatalities and near,ly 5,000 injuries.
Drivers will see increased enforcement of occupant protection and texting laws across the state as law enforcement officials are partnering in this effort. The goal is to bring awareness to these two simple actions – buckling up and putting the phone down – to help reduce traffic fatalities.
