Harrisonville proclaims Oct. 30 as Buckle Up Phone Down Day; high school Traction team urges safer driving

Mayor Mike Ziering read a proclamation declaring Friday, Oct. 30, 2024, as Buckle Up Phone Down Day in Harrisonville, citing statistics from the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety about unbuckled fatalities and distracted driving.

The proclamation notes that over 64 percent of Missouri traffic fatalities in 2023 involved unbuckled occupants and highlights distracted driving as one of the primary causes of crashes among people ages 15 to 20.

Officer Ramsey, advisor to the Harrisonville High School Traction team, told the Board that the student-led group — 14 members this year — is expanding efforts beyond a traditional seat-belt challenge to address in-car distractions such as cell-phone use. "We're talking about how you can be driving without distractions," Ramsey said.

Several student members described why they joined the program. "I got introduced to Traction 3 years ago by my brother…he really got me inspired to take driving seriously and not be on my phone," said Lucas Divini, the club president. Audrey Coffey, public relations officer, emphasized the human impact: she said Traction members hear stories from people severely injured or bereaved in crashes and that those accounts add emotional weight to the statistics.

The mayor invited the students to the dais for a photo and thanked them and Officer Ramsey for their work. The city encouraged residents to "take the challenge" and learn more at the MoDOT campaign site referenced in the proclamation.

The board did not take formal action on the proclamation beyond recognition and the photo opportunity. The Traction presentation was presented as an informational item and public outreach effort.