JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A safety campaign that originated in Missouri continues to grow into dozens of states across the country.

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s “Buckle Up, Phone Down” initiative was launched in 2017. Several years later, states like Texas and Michigan are honing in on Missouri’s creation.

“It's very prevalent on our roadways,” MoDOT state safety engineer Jon Nelson said. “It's just as risky as an impaired driver behind the wheel.”

Since 2020, the state has reported close to 450 traffic fatalities related to a distracted driver. But Nelson said traffic accident data doesn’t accurately tell the story.

“What we're learning is that distracted driving is maybe even a bigger issue than sometimes what the crash data has suggested,” Nelson said in an interview.

“

See Full Page