Walking can wait
We have all had those days where we are running just a little bit late and want to avoid getting marked tardy at our first class. We make a conscious decision to sprint across the middle of Reino, jump over the little Newbury Park river in the ditch, then book it across campus to your class.
Though running across a busy street may seem like a great idea, it should be avoided. Not only is it dangerous for you, it is dangerous for drivers as well. Nothing is scarier than having something run out in front of your car, especially a person. The driver does not have enough time to stop or slow down and when they do, they could cause even more problems. Having somebody run out in front of your car is unbelievably scary and leaves a driver shaking in their seat with the thought that they could have hit a person and possibly injured them.
It is also illegal. While pedestrians do have the right of way, they can be found at-fault in traffic accidents if they entered the street suddenly. If a person decides to go face-to-face with a car, the car will always win. In the end, saving five minutes is not worth risking your life or the lives of the people around you.
To prevent traffic accidents, pedestrians should cross at the crosswalk but not when the hand is red. Pedestrians are not allowed to enter the crosswalk when the hand is flashing or the timer is counting down. As a driver, I will be the first to admit that having a person run across the street in the crosswalk when the hand is red and the light is green is one of the most annoying things. You no longer have the right of way. Just wait for a few minutes and you can cross the street then: we are running just as late as you are.
This is not something that should be a big issue but it has become that way due to a lack of enforcement of the laws. When students cross the crosswalk illegally or dart out across the street, they are not caught which leads to increased repetition of the behavior. Students should not need to be watched while they are crossing the street. They need to be more responsible and aware of their actions on both themselves and the people around then when they put themselves in that situation.
It’s common sense. Pedestrians should cross at the crosswalk when you have the “go” signal and not just run out in the middle of the street: it could save your life.
