🟢Relating to the inclusion of information about construction or maintenance work zones in the curriculum of driver education and driving safety courses.

🟢 SB 1366: Work zone safety added to all driver ed

What it says it does:
Requires every Texas driver education and driving safety course to teach risks and penalties for driving in construction and maintenance work zones.

What it actually changes:
TDLR must adopt rules, in consultation with DPS, to add a work zone module covering dangers and penalties under Transportation Code 542.404. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, rules are due by May 1, 2026, and any class on or after September 1, 2026 must include the new content.

Who is pushing for it:
Sen. Nichols authored it. Support in the files includes AGC of Texas, Hunter Industries, Kiewit, Zachry, and a safety advocacy group. Agency staff from TDLR provided input. Opponents, Not in files.

Who benefits:
Road workers facing live traffic, drivers who get clear rules before they make mistakes, and construction crews that avoid shutdowns after crashes.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Small driver ed providers must update courses without dedicated funding, which can strain thin budgets and training capacity.

Why this matters long term:
A uniform, statewide lesson can lower crashes and injuries in work zones, stabilize project timelines, and set a clear baseline for driver knowledge without changing penalties or creating new contracting pipelines.

What to watch next:
Whether TDLR publishes a free, plug and play module, whether providers comply by the 2026 course deadline, and whether DPS and TDLR share year one metrics on crashes, injuries, and citations.

Bottom line:
This is a focused safety mandate with clear dates and narrow scope, likely to help if implemented with simple, no cost materials and transparent reporting.

Questions to ask lawmakers:

1. How will you help small providers update courses without raising student costs?
2. What year one metrics will you track and publish for crashes and injuries?
3. Will you release a free, standard module so every class teaches the same facts?


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