The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) invites schools statewide to join in our efforts to make roads safer through our Buckle Up Phone Down campaign.
Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for teens in the United States. Last year in Wisconsin, there were 18,823 crashes involving teen drivers; 70 people were killed, and 5,782 people were injured in these crashes.
We know distracted driving is a major cause of crashes, and seat belt use is one of the most effective ways to protect drivers and passengers from injury or death in a crash. We hope that, with your help, we can inspire our youngest drivers to do their part to keep our roads safe.
There are two ways to help—sharing our Buckle Up Phone Down campaign and/or participating in Buckle Up Phone Down Day.
Buckle Up Phone Down Day, October 29th:
Wisconsin’s annual Buckle Up Phone Down Day will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. This day provides an opportunity to spread awareness of the lifesaving impact of wearing a seatbelt and putting the phone down while driving. WisDOT is reaching out to partners and community members across the state, encouraging them to take the Buckle Up Phone Down pledge to commit to safe driving on Buckle Up Phone Down Day. Here’s how your school can participate:
Take the pledge!
o Go to www.wisconsindot.gov/BUPD and take the Buckle Up Phone Down challenge on behalf of yourself or your organization.
o Include your organization’s logo and a photo with your pledge to be showcased with other partners on our Buckle Up Phone Down website (scroll to the bottom to see partner logos). Please only include photos that are approved to be shared publicly by WisDOT (uses may include social media sites, website and print promotional materials)
Share your commitment to safety!
o Take a photo of members of your organization and/or students doing the “right thumb up/left thumb down” pose. (see above in red)
o Insert the photo into a Buckle Up Phone Down photo frame:
Square:
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Vertical story:
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Landscape:
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o Share the framed photo on your social media pages on Buckle Up Phone Down Day (Wednesday, October 29, 2025).
o Click here for sample social media messages.
Tag the Wisconsin Department of Transportation using the handles below and include the hashtags #WisDOT and #BuckleUpPhoneDown, and WisDOT will share your post!
Facebook: @Wisconsin Department of Transportation
X: @WisconsinDOT
Instagram: @wisdot
Bring the Buckle Up Phone Down campaign to your school:
The Buckle Up Phone Down campaign is a year-round effort to promote safe driving. We hope our new partner toolkit created just for schools has everything you need to help us spread awareness of the Buckle Up Phone Down campaign.
Click here for the school partner toolkit. You’ll find posters you can customize with your own school mascot or logo, digital monitor graphics, sample PSA messages for your school events, and much more. You may also find some items in our starter media kit useful.
Thank you for your consideration. With your help, we can inspire students, staff, and your community to buckle up and put the phone down. Every trip, every time.
We would also love to hear from you if there are items you would like to see added to the school toolkit or if you have success stories you would like to share!
Sincerely,
WisDOT Office of Public Affairs
Email us about the Buckle Up Phone Down Campaign: DOTBuckleUpPhoneDown@dot.wi.gov
Visit the Buckle Up Phone Down Webpage: zeroinwisconsin.gov/buckle-up-phone-down
Content for this story was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.