Express Lane

Nov. 2, 2023

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7th annual Buckle Up Phone Down Day gets national attention

Schools, businesses and state transportation departments participated

“How drastically would your life be changed if you lost your person because of a distracted driver? What if you caused that loss of life to someone else because you were driving distracted?”

Adrienne Siddens

Widow of Randall Siddens

The 7^th annual Buckle Up Phone Down Day was held on Oct. 25, and MoDOT hosted a news conference in Jefferson City to celebrate BUPD becoming law.

In August, the Siddens-Bening Hands-Free Law took effect in Missouri, prohibiting all drivers from using a handheld electronic communication device while driving.

The law aims to address distracted driving, which contributed to crashes that claimed the lives of more than 800 people across the state from 2012-2021.

Paired with the requirement to wear a seat belt, the enactment of the hands-free legislation means BUPD is officially law in Missouri.

One of the key speakers at the event was Adrienne Siddens, the widow of Randall Siddens, one of the individuals the law is named after. He was killed by a distracted driver in 2019 while working on the road. Adrienne shared her late husband's love of his work and the circumstances that led to him losing his life in a preventable distracted driving crash.

Many local businesses and schools also shared the BUPD message across social media, highlighted by a new public service announcement from Mitch Holthus, the voice of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The campaign has continued to spread across the nation, with nearly half of all U.S. State Transportation Departments posting their own messages about “National Buckle Up Phone Down Day,” from Alaska to Puerto Rico.

The campaign was also promoted in middle schools across Missouri through a billboard contest where students could share designs encouraging people to buckle their seat belts and put their phones down.

To date, more than 39,000 people have accepted the BUPD challenge in Missouri.

Individuals and businesses can take the pledge by visiting the Buckle Up Phone Down website, which also includes various materials to help the movement.

The livestream of the news conference is available on MoDOT’s Facebook page and a photo album of the event here.

Contractors break ground at former Chester Bridge

MoDOT and IDOT held a joint groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 31 for the Don Welge Memorial Bridge (formerly Chester Bridge). The bridge connects Perryville, MO and Chester, IL across the Mississippi River. Speakers included MoDOT Project Director Brian Okenfuss, IDOT Director Stephen Travia and MHTC Vice Chair Dustin Boatwright, among others. Learn more.

Pier removal blast at Rocheport Bridge set for Nov. 5

Interstate 70 is scheduled to close the morning of Nov. 5 for up to one hour to blast footings of the old Rocheport bridge. Most of the blast will be underwater, but traffic will be stopped in both directions on I-70 prior to the blast as a precaution. After demolition, crews will inspect the new bridge to ensure all debris is clear before reopening I-70 to traffic. Learn more.

Improve I-70 meeting scheduled Nov. 14 in Wentzville

MoDOT is coordinating with the Federal Highway Administration to finish the re-evaluation process to update the Environmental Impact Statement of Interstate 70 in Warren and St. Charles counties. There will be an industry meeting for this project on Nov. 14 at 1:00 p.m. in Wentzville. The meeting's location and presentation are available on the project page.

Today in Transportation History - Nov. 2, 1863

Civil engineer Theodore Judah died at age 37 but spent his life researching a coast-to-coast transit link. He succeeded where others failed by pitching the unconventional idea of a train passage through the rugged, mountain terrain of Sierra Nevada, CA. He died before seeing the first transcontinental railroad but still played a pivotal part in its creation. Learn more.