August 2024

MONTANA TRAFFIC EDUCATION NEWS

Montana DRIVE

Teen Week at Montana DRIVE saw 44 participants who received partial scholarships from State Farm grants. Teens from across the state, along with their families, came to learn and experience the hazards of the road while in a controlled environment. State Farm grants help Montana DRIVE promote safe driving for young adults on the roadways. Thank you to Rudy Strnad and State Farm for coming out and helping educate our instructors and teens!

Advanced driver training can help young drivers develop skills to handle critical and emergency driving situations which cause the most types of crashes in Montana.

Our professional instructors guide teen drivers through off-road recovery, skid control, speed control, and evasive maneuvers. Teens drive the sedans, pickup truck,s and Skid Monster using a specially designed teen curriculum.

Montana DRIVE & SOAR Teen Week at Montana DRIVE welcomed its first class specially designed for tribal youth. 24 students participated in the event over three days. The Montana Department of Transportation Safe On All Roads (SOAR) program partnered with Montana DRIVE, Ford Driving Skills for Life, and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to sponsor a skills workshop for tribal teens who may not have access to driver education courses or formal driver training in their communities.

Teen Week instructors worked with Sheila Cozzie, Transportation Planner/Cultural Liaison of MDT, to provide specially designed instruction to young adults with little or no experience behind the wheel.  The teens gained valuable skills, confidence, and knowledge to help keep themselves and others safer on the roadways. 

Thank you to all of our instructors, administrators, parents, chaperones, and teens for making this event a success!

Montana DRIVE Teen Week and Tribal Teen Week are not substitutions for formal driver education. These programs are designed to supplement driver skills and driver education. For more information and to watch for next year's registration, which opens on March 1, visit our website here Montana DRIVE. 

TEDRS

Did your district submit the TE06 Year-End-Report? Each year the reimbursement amount for schools overseeing students completing at least 50% of a traffic education class varies. The amount per student is estimated to be between $100 and $120 this year. Schools receive the reimbursement funds in mid-August each year. The funds vary due to the amount the MVD/DOJ receives from license fees each year. 

TE01 District Applications for fall sessions are due by August 1. If you need access to TEDRS, please send an email to leann.haas@mt.gov. Access can take three to five business days, please plan accordingly. 

Contact the Traffic Education Office with questions about state-approved traffic education programs in Montana, becoming a state-approved traffic educator, attending a Montana DRIVE Workshop, or for parent and teen driver education resources.

Call (406) 444-4432 or visit http://opi.mt.gov/DriverEd

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.