WisDOT urges drivers to put safety first on Buckle Up Phone Down Day

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) today, Oct. 29, 2025, joins partners across the state and across the country in  urging drivers to put their seat belts on and put their phones down. Buckle Up Phone Down Day is an annual campaign to raise awareness for the two most important actions a driver can take to prevent deadly crashes.

Today and all week, Wisconsinites will see and hear educational messages and public service announcements on social and digital media platforms, broadcast radio, television and streaming platforms, as well as on digital signs along highways across the state. The effort urges drivers to model safe driving behaviors and commit to the Buckle Up Phone Down pledge to buckle up and put the phone down, every trip, every time.

“Safety is the driving force behind everything we do at WisDOT, but responsible driving is the key to preventing deadly crashes on Wisconsin’s roads,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “The number of distracted driving crashes and crashes with unbelted drivers in our state is unacceptable. We know folks are busy and technology touches many aspects of our lives but behind the wheel is not the place to reply to a text or read an email. Please buckle up, please put your phone down, that’s what it will to take to move the needle on reducing deaths on our highways.”

By the numbers:

• Distracted driving is a leading cause of traffic crashes in Wisconsin. In 2024, there were 9,068 crashes related to distracted driving across the state, resulting in 44 deaths and 3,530 injuries.
• Buckling up is one of the easiest and most important things a driver or passenger can do to stay safe in a crash. In 2024, there were 7,648 crashes involving unbelted occupants, resulting in 176 deaths and 2,022 injuries.

“We have to do better for ourselves and for each other, the current culture of unsafe driving in Wisconsin and across the country puts everyone on the road at risk,” Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan said. “Buckle Up Phone Down Day is a great reminder of the lifesaving power of two simple steps that everyone can easily commit to. But it’s going to take more than one day to change our behaviors, it has to be a collective effort from everyone, every trip, every time.”

Join the effort:

• WisDOT partners with law enforcement, fire departments, emergency responders, school districts, local businesses, residents and community organizations across the state to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted and unbelted driving in Wisconsin. Anyone looking to become a Buckle Up Phone Down partner can visit WisDOT’s Zero in Wisconsin website to learn how. 
• Always buckle up. Every trip. Every time. Remind friends and family to do the same.
• Put your phone down and avoid distractions while driving. If you must use your phone, pull over to a safe location.  

o   Texting while driving is not only dangerous but also illegal in Wisconsin. Sending or reading a text that takes your eyes off the road for five seconds at 55 mph is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

o   Handheld cell phone use is banned within 500 feet of an authorized emergency vehicle or tow truck with its lights on. Wisconsin Act 115 was signed into law in December 2021, creating an additional protection for roadside workers. 

o   It is illegal to talk on a handheld cell phone when driving through a construction or utility work zone in Wisconsin.

o   Hand-held or hands-free cell phone use while driving is against the law in Wisconsin for any driver with a probationary license or instruction permit, except to report an emergency.

Spreading awareness:

• Every driver can help create safer roads in Wisconsin on Buckle Up Phone Down Day and every day by taking the Buckle Up Phone Down pledge.

o   Participants are invited to share a photo with the Buckle Up Phone Down pose (right thumb up, left thumb down) on social media using the hashtag #BuckleUpPhoneDown, then challenge friends, family and coworkers to do the same.​

• WisDOT’s new Buckle Up Phone Down public service announcements feature a real family devastated by a fatal distracted driving crash in southern Wisconsin. Told from the perspective of a spouse and father, the videos reveal the heartbreak one traffic crash can cause on the lives of many.
• Each year Buckle Up Phone Down Day is proclaimed by Gov. Tony Evers.

WisDOT launched the Buckle Up Phone Down program in 2021 to educate Wisconsinites about two of the biggest factors that contribute to deadly crashes on Wisconsin roads. The program has grown over the years to include hundreds of residents who’ve taken the Buckle Up Phone Down pledge and dozens of organizations that’ve become partners. Other state transportation departments across the country boast a Buckle Up Phone Down program. The Missouri Department of Transportation originated the program in 2017. Learn more about WisDOT’s Buckle Up Phone Down campaign at wisconsindot.gov/BUPD.