Missouri to Launch New Effort to Teach Teens Safe Driving in Work Zones

COLUMBIA – Student traffic safety leaders from eleven Missouri high schools will gather in Columbia on March 23 to help launch Missouri Work Zone Safe. This free online teen driver education program teaches new drivers that there is a face and a family behind every flag, cone and flashing light. Teens who complete the 45-minute Missouri Work Zone Safe course, now available at WorkZoneSafe.com, will learn how to drive safely through work zones, share the road with first responders, and can enter to win a $500 Work Zone Safe educational scholarship from Work Zone Safe.

The launch will take place during the TRACTION youth traffic safety leadership conference. TRACTION is a statewide program sponsored by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Cape Girardeau Police Department, committed to promoting safe driving habits and empowering teen drivers to teach their peers and community members how and why to be safe.

Who:  Tom Robins, Founder of Work Zone Safe

Jon Nelson, State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer

Gavin Osburn, Missouri Teen (on behalf of 11 high schools)

Lt. Eric Brown, Missouri State Highway Patrol

Brandon Anderson, AGC Missouri – Vice President of Safety

Nicole Ebker, Distracted Driving Advocate

What:  Annual TRACTION Reunion, official launch of Work Zone Safe in Missouri

When:                Monday March 23, 3:00 p.m.

Where:              Stoney Creek Hotel

2601 S. Providence Rd.

Columbia, MO 65203

Why: In 2025, 23 people were killed in work zone crashes in Missouri. Distracted driving contributed to 11 of those fatalities and a total of 393 work zone crashes. It is important to equip the next generation of drivers with the knowledge they need to drive safely in Missouri work zones.

For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org.