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Panel backs adding work‑zone safety to driver education and the drivers manual
Summary
Senate File 1903 would require work‑zone safety content in driver‑education curricula, the drivers manual and driver examinations; the Transportation Committee recommended the bill and referred it to State and Local Government for technical and fiscal follow-up.
Senate File 1903, sponsored by Senator Johnson Stewart, would add work‑zone safety and work‑zone driving rules to Minnesota’s driver‑education curriculum, the state driver manual and the driver‑examination content. Testimony on March 5, 2025 emphasized the risk to both construction workers and drivers and cited Minnesota’s rank among states for fatal work‑zone crashes.
Abby Breduc, executive director of the Minnesota Asphalt Pavements Association, described a June 2022 crash on Highway 36 that killed a 17‑year‑old driver who entered a closed construction zone; she said Minnesota ranks eighth nationally for fatal work‑zone crashes and urged inclusion of work‑zone safety in education for teen drivers. “Proper education about work zones… could mean the difference between life and death,” Breduc said.
John Palmer, professor emeritus and longtime driver‑education specialist, told the committee that up‑to‑date, classroom-ready curriculum is scarce and that adding a required module will require time and resources. Director Pong Zhang of Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) said the department certifies programs to minimum curricular standards and would implement changes by updating the manual and examination questions once legislation and rules were set.
Committee members asked about timing, printing costs and curriculum updates. Director Zhang and DVS staff said the agency has some related test questions but that the manual and test would need coordinated updates; driver‑education programs (about 500 statewide) would then revise courses. DVS staff also noted a potential timeline challenge because test questions are derived from the manual, which must be updated first.
Senator Johnson Stewart said she will consult with DVS on timing and technical fixes. The committee recommended the bill to pass and referred it to the State and Local Government Committee; members noted a fiscal element that likely will be addressed in subsequent finance discussions or by related bills offering online training.
Committee leaders asked that the bill not be rushed to the floor without technical adjustments from the administering agency and possible fiscal language to avoid unintended costs for programs and DVS.
