Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program
Photo collage: temporary lane closure, road marking installation, cone with mounted warning light, and drum separated work zones.
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Highway Work Zone Safety & Awareness Program for New Drivers: The "Turning Point" Campaign

Training

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) have worked together to develop a broad, multifaceted campaign about work zones that is oriented specifically to new drivers. This campaign, called "Turning Point", was formulated to make new drivers aware of work zone hazards and provide them with guidance on safely negotiating work zone situations. FHWA and ARTBA designed the campaign to be used primarily in the driver education process, however, it can also be a resource to the parents of new drivers and others. More information about this campaign is also available on www.WorkZoneDriver.org.

Campaign Features

The "Turning Point" Campaign is based upon the theme that new drivers are at a turning point in their lives. It is intended to help new drivers understand the hazards that may be encountered while driving through work zones and it offers five messages to help them safely negotiate the highway work zone situations they will encounter. These are:

  • Know the Work Zone Signs
  • Pay Attention to Other Drivers
  • Stay Focused, Avoid Distractions
  • Expect the Unexpected
  • Keep your Cool, Be Patient.

The campaign delivers these messages using a variety of products, which include:

  • Campaign Plan - The campaign plan describes how the "Turning Point" concept was formulated to disseminate and reinforce the various awareness messages and safe driving tips to new drivers. Tips for getting the messages to new drivers are included, as well as marketing strategies that might be used to extend the reach of the campaign.
  • Interactive Driver Training Tool - This tool puts young drivers in those difficult situations where their limited experience can be tested without the risk of a crash to help them recognize possible hazards. Driver perspective videos have been gathered from real work zone situations. The software presents these urban and rural situations to the new drivers with planned stops to query the hazards they should note or the actions they should take. An audio track provides advice and feedback to help them through the training and provide additional insights to them.
  • Safety Video - This eight-minute safety video attempts to create an emotional connection to work zone safety. It delivers the critical safety messages to new drivers in a context to which they can relate and it includes a lead-in with comments from teens about their own experiences in work zone driving.
  • Celebrity Spokesperson - Ms. Dominique Dawes (Olympic gymnastics star) was recruited as a celebrity spokesperson to encourage new drivers to observe the various messages on safe driving in work zones. She appears on the safety video and has made appearances to encourage teens to think about work zone safety.
  • Collateral Products - A variety of collateral products have been developed to disseminate the safety campaign messages and provide reminders of them to the teen drivers. These include posters, bumper stickers, bookmarks, instructor's guides, brochures, fact sheets, and press releases.
  • Resource Database - A CD is available containing a searchable database of materials on work zone safety that might be useful for driving instructors and others. Resources in this database include an instructor's guide and other instructor resources, videos and public service announcements, a slide presentation on work zone basics (Primer), printable files for campaign documents and collateral products, and references to other sources of information.
  • Web site - A web site, www.WorkZoneDriver.org, has been designed to provide an ongoing link to materials related to work zone safety for new drivers. The web site includes an interactive query, useful information for driving instructors and parents, factual data and news briefs that indicate the safety issues, and means to order information generated in the project.

These items have been packaged into a Toolkit that has been distributed to driving instructors, parents, state agencies, and other interested parties. A copy of the toolkit materials is available upon request from ARTBA or from FHWA.

Campaign Contacts

Additional Resources for New Drivers

  • The Drive and Stay Alive web site contains special sections for young drivers and for parent of young drivers, as well as many links to other awareness and safety sites.

 
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