AASHTO Journal - Oklahoma DOT Employees Win Safety Awards

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently recognized several employee teams with internal agency awards for their “collective commitment” to safety over the past year.

[Above photo by Oklahoma DOT]

In a statement, the agency said the 2024 Governor’s Safety Excellence Award – presented annually to the Oklahoma DOT field district with the best overall safety record for the year – went to District Six in the northwest part of the state. District Six worked over 240,000 hours, the agency said yet experienced just three injuries – none of which caused lost workdays.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Progressive Excellence Award – which recognizes the Oklahoma DOT field district with the most improved safety rating for the year – went to District Five, which covers the southwestern part of the state. That district won for reducing its number of overall accidents and reducing lost workdays in 2024.

Finally, the agency issued Director Safety Awards to the unit in each of Oklahoma DOT’s eight field districts and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety efforts for 2024 – with consideration given to safety, housekeeping, training and equipment maintenance.

Across the country, state departments of transportation are involved in a variety of internal and external efforts to improve safety.

For example, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and insurance provider Fundación MAPFRE recently named Bishop Feehan High School senior Ollie Guglielmi as the winner of their third annual “Look Both Ways Road Safety PSA Contest.” Students from Dighton-Rehoboth, Ludlow, Northbridge and Quincy were also recognized as finalists.

This yearly contest involves high school students from the across the state creating scripts for a public service announcement to reach their peers with important road safety messages.

Meanwhile, out west, the Utah Department of Transportation recently launched a “Truck Smart” training campaign to teach motorists how to safely share the road with commercial vehicles.

The agency said in a statement it started this campaign because, in 2024, there were 45 commercial vehicle-involved fatalities on Utah roads – with six such fatalities on Utah’s roads so far in 2025.