Pedestrian Safety with Wisconsin Bike Fed

La Crosse, August 14, 2018 - The last few Mondays a small group of Aptiv Day Services participants have been learning pedestrian safety with Carolyn Dvorak, Southwest Region Director of the Wisconsin Bike Fed. She has been teaching skills such as looking both ways before crossing, identifying cross walk buttons, paying for a bus ride, safely walking through parking lots, and the rules of the road for pedestrians and drivers. 

Dvorak works in the community to educate people on the skills above, along with bike safety. She says the goal of teaching pedestrian safety is to give people all the information they need to walk safely and comfortably in the community, and learn to protect themselves when drivers make errors. 

Many drivers do not know they must yield to people walking at all crosswalks, whether they are marked or unmarked. 

"The class has been great," Dvorak said. "It is nice to see camaraderie between the participants. I am teaching the same skills as I would teach everyone walking in our community. Most people need a little practice walking assertively and safely in our community so that drivers begin to learn to let people cross the street and allow all of us to enjoy walking to destinations." 

The course in pedestrian safety is for two and a half hours, and will continue for the next couple of weeks to continue to build the confidence and enjoyment of walking. The group takes neighborhood walks, rides the bus, and crossing streets. 

"As community integration is a main focus for Aptiv, collaborating with a community group [Wisconin Bike Fed] and working on important life skills, such as safe navigation of the community, is a natural partnership," Mickell Horstman, Aptiv's Lead Therapeutic Recreation Specialist said. "Aptiv strives to assist participants in gaining skills and abilities to live more independent lives within their community and pedestrian safety is one part of successful community integration." 

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