ODOT, Turnpike Authority mark Work Zone Awareness Week after worker deaths; PSC debuts PSAs and teen outreach

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority used the Transportation Commission's April 7 meeting to kick off Work Zone Awareness Week, highlighting a governor's proclamation, memorial events and public-safety outreach aimed at reducing crashes and on-the-job deaths.

Director Gatz told commissioners the state issued a proclamation designating April 20'April 25 as Oklahoma Work Zone Awareness Week and that ODOT and OTA will hold an employee moment of silence on April 11 to honor 73 employees killed on the job. "That's erected in honor of the 73 fallen ODOT and OTA workers that were killed on the job," Gatz said while introducing the proclamation read into the record.

The department also previewed two new public-service announcements and described ongoing teen-driver education and hands-on demonstrations. Tom Robbins, president of Work Zone Safe, said the group focuses on educating new drivers and on sharing worker stories with teens. "The mission of Work Zone Safe is for every new teen driver to know that there's a face and family behind every flag cone and flashing light," Robbins said.

Why it matters: Commissioners stressed that work-zone crashes have large human and financial costs. The department cited recent crash data saying 532 collisions occurred in Oklahoma work zones in a year; it also told the commission that motorists are more likely than workers to be injured or killed in work-zone crashes. The agency emphasized seat-belt use and obeying reduced work-zone speed limits as primary ways to reduce severity and frequency of collisions.

ODOT described multiple public and partner activities tied to the campaign: illumination of landmarks in orange on April 23 (including Oklahoma City's SkyDance and Myriad Botanical Gardens'Crystal Bridge and several Tulsa sites), a memorial moment on April 11, and multi-day teen events in the Panhandle and Tulsa delivered with Oklahoma Challenge and other partners. ODOT and the turnpike authority also staged a hands-on mobile work-zone program the department said is unique in the country because it pairs employees, contractors and first responders with teen audiences to demonstrate hazards.

The meeting included on-the-record recognition and awards: the commission heard praise for district-level staffers and contractors, and Work Zone Safe presented a district "Work Zone Safe Champion" award to Brent Omquist and a recognition to an employee identified only as Jay for teen-outreach work. An ODOT field employee who appears in the PSA described several close calls in the field: "I started the day about 7-ish, and no sooner than I was there 30 seconds and got hit," the employee said, describing a vehicle collision that damaged a work truck and near-misses experienced by crews.

Commissioners also raised seat-belt use as a broad public-safety concern. Director Gatz said Oklahoma ranks 40th in the nation for seat-belt use and urged drivers to buckle up, noting that many crashes could be less severe if occupants were restrained.

The commission did not take formal action on the proclamation or the PSAs; the items were presented during the director's report and recognized by commissioners. ODOT invited commissioners and field partners to a lobby photo opportunity after the meeting.

Ending: The department said the month-long emphasis and the PSAs are intended to reinforce year-round vigilance in work zones as summer construction season approaches.