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Parents are the most important models of proper pedestrian behavior for children.
- Cross streets safely. Cross at a corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Do not assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you.
- Look left, right, and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross. Walk, do not run, across the street.
- Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
- Be a safe pedestrian around cars. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
- Parents and kids should hold hands in parking lots.
Set pedestrian safety rules for your children.
- Never allow children under age 10 to cross streets alone. Adult supervision is essential until you are sure a child has good traffic skills and judgment.
- Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
- Make sure children know to cross 10 feet in front of a school bus, never behind, and to wait for adults on the same side of the street as the school bus loading or unloading zone.
- Teach your child never to run out into a street for a ball, a pet or any other reason.
Help create an environment that's safe for pedestrians.
- Make sure your child plays in safe places away from motor vehicles, such as yards, parks and playgrounds and never in the street. Fence off play areas from driveways and streets.
- Buy clothing and accessories incorporating retro reflective materials for your family to wear at dawn and dusk, in the evening and during other low-light situations, such as rainy or foggy weather.
- Check frequently for children when backing out of a driveway or a parking space.
Routinely, the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning
Organization assesses 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 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:
Safe Kids Grand Forks, in partnership with local agencies, city government, school districts and private businesses is able to deliver comprehensive pedestrian safety programs throughout our region. Additionally, our local Safe Kids coalition benefits from several national and worldwide programs.
 FedEx sponsors the Safe Kids Walk This Way program, a worldwide program which prevents pedestrian-related injuries to children. Since 1999, Safe Kids coalitions have joined with FedEx employee volunteers to teach kids about pedestrian safety year round, with special programs for International Walk to School Day and Halloween.
Safe Kids Grand Forks and the Grand Forks Public School have also been recipients of Safe Routes To School funding. SRTS is a federally funded program that focuses on improving pedestrian and bicycle safety around the country to increase the number of children walking/biking to and from school.
Our programming includes:
- Back to School Safety Events: In partnership with Hugo's grocery stores throughout the region, Safe Kids provides safety fairs and educational booths on getting to school safely. These back-to-school events are held each August
 at the Hugo's stores. At some locations, we set up stations for kids to go through to learn more about getting to school safely. At other locations we provide display boards and educational materials.
- School specific pedestrian education: Every fall Safe Kids Grand Forks offers schools the opportunity to receive pedestrian safety education. This can be in the form of school-wide assemblies, newsletters to parents or providing curriculum for teachers to use in the classroom. We tailor our education programs to the needs of specific schools and customize presentations to their specific school.
- Crossing guard training: We have developed a short training program for staff and volunteers who serve as crossing guards at our schools. The presentation is available on a CD-ROM. We also provide the schools with crossing guard vests and stop paddles.
- Walk to Win: Altru Health System has been conducting the Walk to Win program in both local and regional schools for many years. The purpose of the program is to encourage children and families to walk for exercise. Recently, Safe Kids, Walk to Win and Grand Forks physical education teachers have combined efforts to encourage walking to and from school. Several schools have competed for the most mileage walked in the fall semester.
- Pedestrian safety improvement grants: Over the last 8 years, Safe Kids Grand Forks has applied for and been awarded grants through FedEx and SRTS to improve pedestrian and bike safety at several schools. These grant dollars have been used to make environmental changes such as altering traffic flow, moving sidewalks to safer locations, contracting with engineering firms to conduct traffic studies and installing your speed radar signs. Other grant dollars have been used to initiate school-specific pedestrian and bike safety programs, provide needed safety equipment to schools and continue our safety education programs.
- City government partnerships:
 Grand Forks and East Grand Forks are fortunate to have strong partnerships and working relationships between numerous agencies involved in pedestrian safety, traffic engineering and enforcement. We are able to work with GF Streets and Sanitation, GF City Engineering, the MPO, the GF Police Department, and public and private schools throughout Greater Grand Forks to address pedestrian safety issues.
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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