AASHTO Journal - Oklahoma DOT Marks Year-One of Teen Driver Course

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently celebrated the one-year mark of its mandated work zone and first responder safety training course for teenage drivers.

[Above photo by the Oklahoma DOT]

That law – which took effect November 1, 2023 – requires all Oklahoman residents under age 18 to complete the free “Work Zone Safe” online education course before applying for their intermediate driver’s license.

That program – created by Tom Robins for the Oklahoma DOT and in partnership with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), Association of Oklahoma General Contractors, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office – teaches teenagers about work zone and first responder safety.

Once completed, teens download their Work Zone Safe certificate and present it to Service Oklahoma when they apply for their learner permit. Teens must have it completed by the time they take their drive test for their intermediate driver license, the agency said.

Since the law went into effect, Oklahoma DOT said more than 63,500 Oklahoma teenage drivers have completed the course.

“We are proud to see Oklahoma taking a lead in this vital safety education for new drivers and are excited about the positive impact it will have for families across the state as teen drivers, other motorists, first responders and our workers make it home safe every day,” said Tim Gatz, Oklahoma DOT executive director, in a statement.

“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,” he added.

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.

“We have filled our roads with ‘digitally drunk’ drivers and this program is designed to teach young drivers how their driving can impact their lives and other’s forever,” said Robins. “We know work zones can be confusing for new drivers so we want to give teens work zone safety education before they encounter one while behind the wheel.”

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, among others.

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 to make it home safely every time. Since its inception in 2021, more than 22,000 teenaged Oklahoma drivers have participated in that course, Oklahoma DOT said.