Course Guiding New Drivers Through Work Zones Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
Bryce Etzweiler was working on the highway with a crew from the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Mt. Gretna Maintenance Facility Tuesday, replacing a section of guardrail as traffic whizzed by. While he and his team take every precaution to stay safe, there is another factor out there – drivers.
“Distracted driving is a huge problem nowadays,” the PA Turnpike Equipment Operator said. “Everyone gets distracted with their cellphones and their big-screen infotainment systems. It just helps if they pay attention.”
PA Turnpike Equipment Operator Bryce Etzweilerworks close to traffic replacing a guardrail near the Lawn Service Plaza. A new course is helping new drivers navigate work zones like this to help keep crews safe.
Collaboration between the PA Turnpike and PennDOT to get the word out about safe driving in work zones has helped, he said, and one new course has been targeting new drivers before they form bad habits. It’s the New Driver Work Zone Safety Program, which launched one year ago this month in both English and Spanish.
“Just in the first year, we’re really happy with how many people we’ve reached, and we’re motivated to reach that many more in the next year,” said Manager of Traffic Engineering Justina Wentling, who led the team that launched the program.
It includes question-and-answer segments along with short videos to keep students engaged. The free, half-hour course supplements the state’s driver’s education curriculum and can be found here.
Manager of Traffic Engineering Justina Wentling is proud of how far the New Driver Work Zone Safety Program has come in a year and looks forward to seeing more new drivers take the course.
So far, there have been 1,800 clicks on the English version and 70 on the Spanish version. With more than 800 driver’s education instructors receiving the link and many incorporating it into their curriculum, one click can equal a classroom full of participants in many cases, Wentling said.
According to survey results, the course has reached at least 4,000 drivers so far – including the 1,300 Turnpikers and PennDOT employees who were required to take the course – further spreading the word about safe driving in work zones.
The feedback has been 90% positive with one particular comment jumping out at Wentling, saying the course, “Reinforced just how dangerous work zones can be and our responsibility to make sure everyone gets home at night.”
In the development of the course, Wentling and her team worked closely with Oklahoma, where the Sooner State’s program became a requirement for those obtaining a driver’s license. Right now, Pennsylvania House Bill 257 is under consideration and may do the same, requiring an expansion of new-driver educational materials through programs like the New Driver Work Zone Safety Program.
That’s what would help make this program go viral, but until then, Wentling is proud of the reception and looks forward to seeing the course grow. It’s been a special program to be involved with, Wentling said, and she hopes to see it make a difference in protecting both travelers and highway crews.
And those working on the highway, like Etzweiler, agree.
“We’re out here working, trying to make the road a better place for you, and we want to go home at the end of the day just like you,” he said.
By Steve Marroni, PA Turnpike Communications Specialist