Indiana: Governor Braun, INDOT and State Police Recognize Buckle Up Phone Down Day
Joining more than 35 states across the country, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indiana State Police recognized Buckle Up Phone Down Day on October 28, 2026, challenging Hoosiers to buckle up and put their phones down, both as drivers and as passengers.
"Last year, just over 800 people died on Indiana roadways," said INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist. "Despite a slight decline in fatalities, INDOT continues to focus on enhancing roadway safety through systemic roadway improvements, but we can't solve this problem on our own. We ask that all Hoosier drivers and their passengers do their part by making smart decisions. Wearing seatbelts and avoiding distractions, like cell phones and mobile devices, are two easy, yet impactful, choices." Since 2021, the majority of fatal crashes in Indiana have involved an unbelted driver or passenger. In 2023 alone, just over 9,500 collisions were reported involving distracted driving or cell phone use, despite Indiana's Hands-Free Law enacted in 2020.
"Ensuring safety on our roadways is a shared responsibility, and it starts with two of the simplest actions a driver can take: buckling up and putting the phone away," said Captain Ron Galaviz, Chief Public Information Officer for the Indiana State Police. "Our troopers are actively enforcing seatbelt and hands-free laws not to issue citations, but to save lives."
This is the third year Indiana has participated in the Buckle Up Phone Down movement, launched by the Missouri Department of Transportation in 2017. Drivers can take the pledge at BUPDIN.com, and specialized messages will run on overhead dynamic message signs on interstate routes across Indiana.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 系上安全带的驾驶人（资料图）。CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A driver fastening a seat belt (file photo). CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
