Houma Thibodaux News

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), in partnership with Destination Zero Deaths (DZD) and AAA, has launched a pilot project named the Buckle Up Phone Down (BUPD) High School Showdown. This initiative is aimed at promoting safe driving habits among high school students in Louisiana. Nine schools have been chosen for this inaugural program: Berwick High School, LaGrange High School, Terrebonne High School, Plain Dealing High School, Plainview High School, Chalmette High School, Ponchatoula High School, Walker High School, and Neville High School. The program will run from October 30 to December 31, 2024.

This project is modeled after a successful initiative in Missouri that began in 2021. In Missouri, AAA has provided more than $25,000 in donations to participating schools. The BUPD showdown encourages students to pledge to "buckle up" and "put their phones down" while driving. Schools compete to achieve the highest percentage of student pledges. In Louisiana, the two schools with the most pledge submissions will receive monetary awards from AAA—$5,000 for first place and $2,500 for second place—to support safety-focused programs.

Schools are encouraged to creatively integrate the showdown into their activities to maximize student participation. The overarching aim of this program is to foster a culture of safe driving among young drivers in Louisiana.

Destination Zero Deaths (DZD) is an initiative focused on eliminating traffic fatalities across the state. Its partners include DOTD, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, and the Louisiana State Police.