Opinion:
Pedestrians and motorists must work together to make campus safer

by Lauren Schad, posted Nov. 19, 2009

For college students, walking across campus to get to class is a daily ritual. On my journey to make it on time, I frequently see close-call accidents between pedestrians and motorists. How did it become so dangerous to walk on campus? I say both parties are to blame when it comes to traffic accidents, even if they are close calls.

From a young age, we were all taught the “look both ways before you cross” rule. But, it seems on campus this concept has been completely thrown out. Some pedestrians are oblivious to vehicles when they cross on a crosswalk, and drivers are constantly distracted and do not pay attention to people crossing the street.

I’ve seen students who listen to their music and don’t hear a car coming, or are just talking with their friends and step into the street. The look of shock on their faces when the car slams on the breaks makes me feel as if I was the one who almost got hit.

“The most frequent violations related to pedestrian accidents are failing to yield,” said Alan Hulett of the Columbia Police Department Traffic Unit. “The driver of a vehicle has the duty to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. The pedestrians have a duty to yield to vehicles in places other than a crosswalk.”

In 2008, the Columbia Police Department investigated approximately 26 pedestrian accidents, while so far this year they have only had 16 to investigate.

I usually have my close calls where I should be the safest. When I cross at a crosswalk, I try to cross where there is a break in the traffic. But a few times, the cars only slow down and do not come to a complete stop. Drivers usually get impatient with pedestrians because they cause delays in their travel. But is it worth risking their safety?

“One day I was walking across the intersection at College Avenue and Hospital Drive after animal science class,” said Ashley Bernard, freshman animal science major.  “As I stepped into the street, a car ran the red light and almost hit me and I barely jumped out of the way.”

New drivers to MU are also nervous about driving to their destinations on campus. I always try to drive slowly on College Avenue, because I never know when a student will try and cross the road.

“I’m not used to having to watch out for people walking,” said MU freshman Trever Griswold. “There’s been a couple of times, when I’m taking my car back to the parking garage, that I’ve had trouble and had to stop abruptly to not hit somebody.”

However, once it is dark outside, it is almost impossible to see people crossing the street. When driving or walking on campus, students have to be completely alert to make their travels as safe as possible.

“Most serious and fatal pedestrian crashes occur at night,” Hulett said. “So, if you are walking at night around a roadway, wear reflective material on your outer clothes, walk against traffic, and don’t be impaired. Do not assume the driver of the vehicle sees you.”

I encourage students and drivers to follow these traffic safety tips from the University Police Department to make our campus safer:

Drivers:

• Refrain from talking on phones or texting while driving
• Refrain from eating and drinking or changing the radio station; it causes distractions that can cause accidents.
• Be alert and watch for pedestrians, especially at night.

Pedestrians:

• Be alert when crossing the street.
• Make sure drivers see you and give them time to stop before walking into the street.
• Cross at crosswalks and intersections that are clearly marked for pedestrian crossing.

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