Two members of the Energize for Safety Coalition received awards for their efforts to make the local S.H. 33 corridor safer at an appreciation luncheon Wednesday at Chisholm Trail Technology Center (CTTC).

Coalition president Tom Robins presented the “Driving Safety Together” awards to Supt. Max Thomas, representing CTTC, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Brian Taylor.

During the program, Robins thanked stakeholders in the public-private coalition, which includes major energy companies operating in the area as well as government agencies, for taking on the task of enhancing safety measures to counteract a drastic increase in highway traffi c resulting from the area oil boom.

Particular attention has been paid to the S.H. 33 corridor between Kingfisher and Watonga, which had seen an alarming increase in injury and noninjury traffic accidents in recent years.

Crashes involving large trucks on that 25-mile stretch of highway were reported at nearly four times the state average, according to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Offi ce.

Largely through the cooperative efforts of the coalition, that route was offi cially designated last February as a safety corridor, which allowed installation of new signage, speed reductions in some areas and enhanced zero-tolerance traffic enforcement, all geared toward reducing accident rates.

Robins announced at last week’s meeting that the combined effort has achieved a 30 percent reduction in accidents (per vehicle miles traveled) along that stretch of highway.

Also speaking were State Rep. Mike Sanders who expressed appreciation for the willingness of the safety partners to take on the project, and ODOT Chief Engineer Taylor, who related planned improvements on the highway.

Taylor said a major overhaul on S.H. 33 extending east from Watonga in Blaine County is planned along with adding shoulders on the highway in Kingfi sher County.

Thomas commented following the meeting that Robins came to the technology center to recommend the safety corridor and initiated efforts to realize it.

Among other things, CTTC has been focused on encouraging safer driving practices among its students and staff.

According to a handout distributed at the meeting, the coalition’s founding supporters are Devon, Marathon Oil, Encana (formerly Newfield) and The Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.

Current coalition members also include: LuGreg Trucking, Hamm and Phillips, Halliburton, Continental Resources, Enable Midstream Partners, Camino Petroleum, Williams Co., MidShip Pipeline, Solaris, Enlink Midstream, Red Bluff Resources, Oneok, American Energy Service Companies, Petroleum Equipment Services Association, Chesapeake Energy, Schlumberger and Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Nonprofit partners include Oklahoma Safety Council, National Safety Council, Our Driving Concern, Oklahoma Employers Safety Program and Mid-Continent Exploration and Production Safety Network.

Government partners include ODOT, Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Oklahoma Highway Safety Offi ce.