Did you know that most of the state’s traffic fatalities are men? That deadly statistic can be attributed to a lack of seat belt use, particularly among young male pickup truck drivers.
Preliminary 2020 data shows that male drivers account for 77% of the pickup truck fatalities so far this year – 83% percent of those male pickup truck drivers killed were unbuckled.
MoDOT and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety are stepping up efforts to reach males and those driving pickup trucks with this potentially life-saving information.
Already this year, there have been 717 traffic fatalities - that’s 76 more lives lost compared to the same time last year. Unfortunately, 68% of those were unbuckled. If everyone involved in these crashes had been buckled, more than 180 people who were killed might still be alive today.
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MoDOT and the Coalition continue to promote the state’s Buckle Up Phone Down safety initiative, which tackles two of the most effective actions drivers can take to stay safe when getting behind the wheel – fastening their seatbelts and putting down their cell phones. This year’s annual Buckle Up Phone Down Day will be held on October 16.