Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association launches instructional guide to educate drivers on work zone safety

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - On Thursday, the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association announced its launch of “Work Zone Safe Wisconsin”, with the hopes of driving home one message: “Eyes up, phones down, buckle up, and slow down in a work zone.”

“Work Zone Safe Wisconsin” is a free, web-based program that teaches you how to drive safely through a work zone. The course is designed to teach about the latest laws, signage, and challenges you could encounter while out on the road within a work zone.

In Wisconsin, new legislation passed this session requires all driver’s education courses to have at least 30 minutes of work zone safety education.

“Work Zone Safe Wisconsin” meets that requirement.

According to the WTBA, nine people were killed and more than 700 workers were injured on the job in Wisconsin in 2023.

Executive Director Steve Baas says that number is too high and action needs to be taken.

“We would not accept that in any other profession,” Baas said. “We shouldn’t have to accept it in highway contracting.”

Becki Slater lost her son Zane Reilly in a work zone crash in late 2022 in Sauk County. He was hit and killed by an SUV after the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

“All he did wrong that day was go to work,” Slater said.

At the time of the crash, Zane Reilly worked for Grant Klumb’s company, First Star Energy Services. Klumb says during every weekly safety meeting, they go through what happened, making sure employees understand this can happen to anyone.

“When you talk about construction safety it’s always about falls, trips, hazards, and deep holes,” Klumb said. “The biggest threat out there is the general public in their vehicles.”

Since the accident, the company has coined Zane’s name as an acronym: Zone Awareness is Not Enough. Klumb says you can do everything right to stay safe, but you can’t control the driver.

“Our construction crews, they have all the tools,” Klumb said. “They get everything they need to make their work zone safe. What they can’t do is make sure that the general public is taking their safety into consideration.”

Slater says it takes a village to help keep workers safe on the road.

The best teaching tool parents have is their own driving habits and making sure to be a good driving role model for their children.

”As a community, when kids look around they need to see good driving behavior also modeled when they look at their neighbors when they drive through construction zones,” Slater said. “Not look over and see someone on their phone in the vehicle next to them.”

While this course is required for new drivers, the WTBA is encouraging all Wisconsin drivers to take it to ensure safety on the roads.

“The fact that Zane wasn’t able to go home is a huge tragedy that we have to be able to stop,” Klumb said.

To learn more about the program or to take the course, go to workzonesafe.com.

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