Missouri's Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law has prevented more than 1,000 crashes in its first year in effect, according to data from Cambridge Mobile Telematics.
The law, which was passed in 2023 and became enforceable at the start of this year, prohibits hand-held cellphone use while driving.
The data also shows that distracted driving has decreased by 5.1% over the last year.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that, so far this year, there have been 300 fewer crashes related to distracted driving compared to the same period last year through April — what it calls a significant improvement.
MSHP also said it has given out over 450 tickets since the beginning of the year.
On Tuesday, advocates gathered at the Missouri Capitol for the Hands-Free law, including AAA Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, MSHP, safety organizations and victim advocates for Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
The event highlighted the impact of the law's first year and honored Missouri high school student winners of the inaugural Show Me Your Score Safe Driving Challenge.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics the law has helped prevent 660 injuries, five fatalities, and $22 million in economic damages during its first year of implementation.
In Missouri in 2023, 116 people were killed and 4,291 were injured in distracted driver involved crashes, according to MSHP crash data.
“It’s encouraging to already see the impact of the Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law in the number of lives saved and crashes prevented,” AAA Missouri spokesperson Nick Chabarria said in a news release. “However, we must not let the early success turn into complacency. To continue to have a meaningful impact, we all must commit to putting our phones down while driving and asking others to do the same.”
Missouri celebrates high schoolers for safe driving
This winter, 56 Missouri high schools participated in a first-of-its kind traffic safety contest, the Show Me Your Score Safe Driving Challenge.
The DriveWell Go app gave students a safe driving score after each driving trip. The score was based on factors like speed and phone distraction.
The students with the overall highest rolling average driving score over the contest period won and are crowned “Missouri’s Safest Teen Drivers,” winning $1,500 each and $1,000 for their school.
Winners included Emily Bergheger and Willam Darland III from Scotland County R-1, Anna Grace Sipp from East Prairie High School and Rylee Harmon from Sullivan High School.
