Between 2016 and 2020, more than 2,000 Oklahomans lost their lives on rural roads. Teen drivers in the state have a higher incidence of crashes than any other age group. As a result, the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) partnered with several organizations to implement an evidence-based, statewide teen driver safety education program that also included enforcement. The program was funded by a GHSA and Ford Driving Skills for Life program grant. OHSO collaborated with Oklahoma Challenge (OK Challenge) and Work Zone Safe to implement the teen centric program that included the Safest Driver App Contest, Traffic Safety Days and Work Zone Education detailed below:
- Safe Driver App Contest: The Safe Driver App Contest was offered to Oklahoma students aged 16 to 22 through a partnership between Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), OHSO and the OK Challenge. The app provided feedback to participating teens who engaged in risky driving behaviors, such as hard braking, speeding, phone distraction, hard turning and quick acceleration.
- Work Zone Safety: More than 1,700 teens completed the training, which focuses on safe driving practices in work zones. All students were entered to win one of 20 education scholarships worth $500 each that may be used at any accredited post-secondary institution in the U.S.
- Traffic Safety Days: OHSO and OK Challenge held 20+ Traffic Safety Days events for 6,000 students. The events featured interactive booths, hands-on driving simulation and distracted driving presentations. The goal was to teach students about safe driving practices and prevent risky driving behaviors.
Ongoing Project Impact
More than 6,200 students aged 18-22 participated in the Safer Driver App Contest (683 in the Fall of 2023,146 in the Spring of 2024). CMT is currently compiling the results and will share them with OHSO. Additionally, OHSO and OK Challenge organized 20 events across Oklahoma to educate students on safe driving practices.