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In the United States, pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 5 to 14, claiming the lives of 669 children in 2001. In 2002, nearly 43,300 children were treated in emergency rooms for pedestrian-related injuries.
Safe Kids Worldwide and program sponsor FedEx Express  created Safe Kids Walk This Way to bring national and local attention to pedestrian safety issues. The goal of the initiative is preventing pedestrian-related injury to children. Since the launch of the program in spring 2000, Safe Kids Walk This Way has spanned the globe to reach families in more than 140 cities throughout the United States and on three continents.
Safe Kids and FedEx Express partner in more than 100 cities to host walk to school events. In the United States, these events take place on International Walk to School Day which is the first Wednesday of each October. Safe Kids Grand Forks has participated in this event for many years as a way to educate children and parents about pedestrian safety, especially on the way to and from school. This event also serves to remind the community of the responsibility they have in keeping our streets safe for children and other pedestrians to navigate.
During the month of September, Safe Kids Grand Forks conducts pedestrian safety presentations in the local schools Walk to School Day School Presentation. On International Walk to School Day, adult and children volunteers, many from our local partner FedEx, are on-site at participating schools to provide reminders to passing motorists and to reinforce safe pedestrian behaviors.
For more information on International Walk To School Day or to schedule an event in your community, contact Safe Kids Grand Forks. Dates and times for each year's events can be found on the Coalition Calendar.
Safe Kids Walk This Way also leads year-round school safety committees to improve pedestrian environments for students. In the past, FedEx has sponsored grants to support school pedestrian safety committees. Safe Kids Grand Forks received a $5,000 grant in 2004 for work at Century Elementary School in Grand Forks. In 2006, they were one of 10 Coalitions in the United States to receive a $10,000 grant for pedestrian safety work at four schools that had Pedestrian Safety Task Forces. These included the following elementary schools: Ben Franklin, Century, J. Nelson Kelly, and Viking. These grants have allowed us to work within the community with city leaders, traffic engineers and metropolitan planning organizations to improve safety for child pedestrians at high-risk intersections.
Kids have a tendency to come to the street's edge and dart out into traffic without thinking twice about on-coming vehicles. In fact, children under age 10 do not have the cognitive skills to see oncoming traffic and make judgments about their ability to safely cross based on how far away and how fast the vehicle is coming. They rely primarily on the vehicle driver to see and stop for them. As we know, distracted drivers are commonplace in our fast paced society with cell phones, etc. in hand.
As a reminder to children to stop at the edge of the street and look both ways, Safe Kids Grand Forks designed the following reminder that is now painted on the street corners near schools. This project was designed as part of International Walk To School Day by Safe Kids Grand Forks and is now carried out by the city of Grand Forks when the street's crosswalks are painted each time. Not only does the reminder alert children to look both ways, but if they do slow down to read the sign, it gives drivers more time to see them.
- Cross streets only at corners and in crosswalks. Do not cross until the light is in your favor.
- Look left, look right, and left again before stepping into the street. Also make sure to keep looking left and right as you cross.
- When stepping out in front of traffic, assure that the tires of the car have stopped moving and you have made eye contact with the driver.
- Wear light colored clothing or a reflective devise if walking in low light conditions. Carrying a flashlight is also a good idea if it is getting dark.
- Never run across the street. This decreases the chance that a driver will see you. If you have to run to get across, the car is too close.
- Walk facing traffic and as far to the left as possible when sidewalks are not available.
- Provide children under age 10 supervision while walking and crossing streets. They also require supervision while playing, especially near a street or the driveway.
- Always model safety behaviors to children.
- Remind children to NEVER walk out into the street between two parked cars.
Safe Kids Grand Forks has developed a crossing guard orientation program in which we will train school crossing guards so as to be better prepared for their duties. Getting kids to and from school safety is an important job and being aware of tips that will assist in that role is what we seek to provide.
We have also provided sites with crossing guard vests, hand held STOP signs and cones as our supplies allow. Not only is it important for the kids to stay safe but those helping in the process need to be properly trained and outfitted as well. For more information on crossing guard trainings, contact Safe Kids Grand Forks.
Routinely, the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization assess the safest way for children to get to and from school. Maps indicating the "Safe Routes To School" are published and Safe Kids Grand Forks works with our local schools to distribute this information to parents and children through back-to-school open houses, school newsletters and on the Safe Kids Grand Forks and Grand Forks Public School System's web sites.
It is important to remember that the routes determined to be the safest are not always going to be the shortest. The routes are established rather based on where there are sidewalks, crosswalks, crossing lights, posted lower speed limits etc. It is also important to keep in mind that these routes may change temporarily based on road construction, etc.
For links to the maps, click here:
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For more information, contact:
Carma Hanson
Safe Kids Coordinator
Altru Health System
P.O. Box 6002
860 Columbia Road
Grand Forks, ND 58206-6002
Phone: 701.780.1489
Fax: 701.780.6655
E-mail: chanson@altru.org
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Phone: 701.780.1489