Join Hands-Free Oklahoma to Help Make Roads Safe for Everyone
Distracted Driving has Reached Epidemic Proportions
Hands-Free Oklahoma aims to help stem the tide of distracted driving in Oklahoma, provide education, create awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, and promote policies to support safer roads and less digital distraction.
Did You Know?
Oklahoma ranked 5th WORST state in the nation for distracted driving in 2023.
There were 79,670 crashes due to distracted driving in Oklahoma from 2012-2021, causing 414 fatalities and serious injuries.
71% of those fatalities were NOT driving - they were innocent victims - other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Oklahoma saw a 7.7% increase in screen interaction from 2021 to 2023. Oklahoma drivers spent an average of more than 3 minutes per hour interacting with their phone screen for every hour they drove.
If you are driving 55 miles an hour, you can travel the distance of a football field in less than 4 seconds!
It is estimated that there were 12,405 distracted driving fatalities in the US in 2021.
(Sources: OHSO, NHTSA, Cambridge Mobile Telematics, NHTSA.)
All Children Buckled Up Campaign
Oklahoma Child Passenger Saftey
ISSUE: Oklahoma ranks 50th in the nation in protecting older children, ages 8-17, in vehicles.
DEAD LAST. WHY? Oklahoma is the only state in the nation without a law requiring children and older to wear a seat belt when riding in the back seat. Right now, only those under eight years old are protected.
SOLUTION: Contact your state representative and senator, asking them to vote for a law requiring seat belts for people 17 and younger in the back seat. Exemptions for licensed agricultural vehicles will remain.
Oklahoma Challenge joined with AAA, Oklahoma FCCLA, and many other organizations to work to pass a law requiring seatbelts in the back seat for children ages 8 to 17.
