Distracted Driving is Dangerous Driving
You’ve seen it: people driving while texting, watching a video or reading on their phones or tablets. You know how dangerous it is.
But did you know that Missouri is one of only two states that allow adults to interact with their phone screens while driving a vehicle?
Together, we are fighting to curb distracted driving across the Show Me State. We will not stop until our streets are truly safe for all.
Trailnet is helping to lead efforts to ban distracted driving through a statewide coalition called Hands-Free Missouri. This coalition is made up of diverse members that share a commitment to safer roads, including victims of distracted driving and their families, Missouri State Highway Patrol, other bike/ped advocacy groups like LocalMotion and BikeWalk KC, and insurance companies like AAA.
For the last two years, Trailnet has been working with state legislators to draft and introduce legislation to ban distracted driving.
This year, we finally saw bi-partisan support, with two bills introduced. In early March, Trailnet traveled to Jefferson City yet again to testify on behalf of these bills and to meet with legislators to gain support.
We supported victims of distracted driving and encouraged them to tell their stories in hearings in both the Missouri House and Senate.
Stories like Randall’s highlight the tragic toll that distracted driving has on individuals and families across the state.
As a result of our advocacy efforts, the Missouri Senate’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee finally voted to advance a bill that would limit phone use while driving in March 2022. It was the first time a distracted driving bill had been approved by a Missouri legislative committee since 2018.
Unfortunately, the legislative session ended last week, and the bill was not brought up for a vote. But we are proud of the progress we have made together. We are hearing more and more support from legislators and individuals across the state. We are optimistic that the culture around distracted driving is changing, and that a bill can be passed in the next legislative session.
But we cannot do this work alone. We need your help. Please join us. As a member, you directly support our advocacy work. Together, we will make our streets truly safe for all.
P.S.: If you want to do more to help, you can share some of these resources with family, friends and your elected officials:
