Last year, Oklahoma became the first state to require a work zone and first responder safety training course for teen drivers. This week, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (OKDOT) held an event to commemorate the law’s progress.
Since the law went into effect, more than 63,500 Oklahoma teens have completed the course. The program teaches teens about work zone and first responder safety and introduces them to the faces behind the flags and flashing lights. In total, OKDOT and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority have lost 72 employees combined in the line of duty in both agencies’ history, which is more than any other state agency other than the military, according to a press release.
Tim Gatz, Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director, says he’s proud of the progress the program has made to ensure work zone workers and motorists make it home safely each day.
“Car crashes are one of the leading causes of deaths for teenagers in the U.S., so we want to make sure new drivers understand the importance of driving safely inside work zones and moving over and slowing down for first responders,” says Gatz.
While Oklahoma is the first state to require teen drivers to take the course before applying for their license, Wisconsin also now requires a similar course and several other states have started the process to implement Work Zone Safe. Once completed, teens download their Work Zone Safe certificate and present it to Service Oklahoma when they apply for their learner permit.
OKDOT’s online course teaches teen drivers, ages 15-18, to be confident, capable and safe drivers in work zones. In addition to being a requirement for an intermediate license, teens who complete the program will be entered to win a $500 educational scholarship and qualify for a safer driver insurance discount.
In addition to the online course, Work Zone Safe offers an in-person, hands-on education in partnership with ODOT, OTA and Oklahoma Challenge Teen Traffic Safety Program. This traveling work zone safety program lets students get an inside look at work zones and lets them hear directly from highway workers on what they should be doing when driving through work zones.Since the program’s inception in 2021, Work Zone Safe has brought the in-person work zone driver safety course to more than 22,200 Oklahoma teen drivers.
Source: Oklahoma Department of Transportation, HNTB.com
