Call it a stroke of genius or just plain practical, TxDOT in Abilene is pulling double duty by tasking the imagination of young Texan minds for a cause that’s both urgent and understated: work zone awareness. The fresh approach involves students in designing posters with a focus on the safety and attention needed when navigating the byways where road workers labor. In a strategy to ingrain these messages early on, high school students are challenged to create, and elementary kids are enlisted to color, all for the greater good of driver attentiveness and lives saved.
Recent crash statistics are a grim reminder of the need for safer conduct behind the wheel. A handful of high schoolers have stepped up to the plate this year, bringing their youthful artistic vision to a sobering reality. "We figured if there was a way to get the message to the younger generation," Jill Christie, a TxDOT traffic safety specialist, told TxDOT officials, "then they would be more inclined to call their parents out on not wearing a seatbelt or speeding." The long game is to instill these as natural behaviors for when these kids eventually take the wheel.
TxDOT’s game plan is to establish a legacy of awareness that transcends the year-to-year campaigns; a sustainable model of participation and education. The poster winner not only gains the honor of their work becoming the template for the younger ones' coloring sheets but also joins a rich tradition of advocacy through art. "We wanted to create something around work zone awareness that would span several years, not just one year," Christie explained.
This year, participation spiked with dozens of delightful coloring submissions and a competitive handful of posters. "It was much harder than I expected to choose a winner," Christie admitted about the selection process, emphasizing the creativity on display. Fifth-grader Bryson from Stafford Elementary and junior Yaquelin Soto from Colorado City High School clinched the titles, their contributions standing out in a field of youthful perspectives. Soto's poster, in particular, was praised for its clarity and adherence to the safety message - "We were very impressed with the attention and consideration the student put into the messaging," Christie remarked. Both victors will get their moment in the spotlight during a Work Zone Awareness media event in line with the national observance of Work Zone Awareness Week.
