ATSS Foundation partners to offer teen driver education for work zones

The American Traffic Safety Services ATSS Foundation is partnering with Work Zone Safe to educate teen drivers on how to safely navigate work zones.

Thanks to a grant from the PPG Foundation of Pittsburgh, The ATSS Foundation worked with Work Zone Safe to develop a free interactive training program that teaches teen drivers the importance of work zone safety including how to navigate a work zone. The curriculum addresses the importance of safe driving habits, the results of speeding and inattentiveness, and how to read work zone signage, operate within queuing and navigate night work zones. It also covers how to understand work zone devices, pavement markings and mobile operations.

The work zone safety online course is free and currently available only for Oklahoma teens where completion of the program could qualify the individual for a reduced rate on the family’s insurance policy.

“We are excited to be addressing this gap in driver education for teens,” ATSS Foundation Director Lori Diaz said. “The information in this curriculum is critical in helping the next generation of drivers protect themselves and roadway workers as we continue working toward zero deaths on the nation’s roads and highways. We hope departments of transportation in states across the country will be interested in making the curriculum available in their jurisdictions.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for teens and that crash risks are highest in the first months a teen is licensed. In addition, most people killed in work zone traffic crashes are drivers and their passengers. In 2020, 857 people were killed in work zone crashes, 740 of whom were not roadway workers, according to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse.

Teens who complete the Work Zone Safe course are entered into a monthly drawing for a $500 educational scholarship. The ATSS Foundation is providing funding to award a scholarship each month.

The course is open to teens aged 15-19. Every Oklahoma teen who completes the program also receives a one-hour jump pass for Sky Zone in Edmond, Okla.

Any state or state department of transportation DOT interested in offering the program can contact Diaz (lori.diaz@atssa.com) for details on how to adapt the program.

The ATSS Foundation is the charitable arm of the American Traffic Safety Services Association.  It was formed in 1988 with the core purpose to promote roadway safety through charitable giving and public awareness programs.