Maple Grove Police Remind Everyone Ways to Stay Safe in Crosswalks
Summer time means more people out and about in Maple Grove, and police officers want more people–on foot, bike, or in cars–to be more aware of their surroundings so everyone can cross streets safely.
A child uses the crosswalk to cross Elm Creek Boulevard in Maple Grove.
“This is the peak time for people being out walking and using our trail systems,” said Maple Grove Police Commander Jon Wetternach. “We’re not used to that probably six months out of the year.”
Officers remind those who approach crosswalks on sidewalks or trails to be extra watchful.
“Don’t totally rely on the crosswalk and the signal. We’ve got to make sure drivers are paying attention,” said Wetternach. “Come up to the crosswalk. Make sure that drivers know that you intend to cross the street there, and make eye contact with them after they stop so they understand that you’re there and you’re crossing, and that will help prevent any issues.”
He also said drivers need to not make rash, unsafe, and illegal decisions.
“We also want to make sure people aren’t passing stopped vehicles when coming up to a crosswalk, because that’s when many issues can occur,” said Wetternach. “We do monitor our crosswalks during our regular patrols and we also have a traffic unit in the city of Maple Grove that helps us enforce when we do have problem areas and to proactively be out there to educate drivers on the laws around crosswalks.”
