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Jaywalking endangers pedestrians, drivers
Allison Jenks
Scroll Staff
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Scott Hales, a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Tanya Gale, a sophomore from Orem, Utah, cross 1st W. by the Hart
Carrie Garrett / Scroll |
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On the south side of the John W. Hart building is a walkway with sidewalks leading to five campus buildings. It leads down to First West, a street connected to a block housing nearly 900 students.
There is no crosswalk directly connecting this main walkway to the adjacent block.
There are two alternate crosswalks at either end of the block, though most students make a straight crossing, braving traffic and risking an accident.
Drivers are obligated by law to stop for pedestrians but often pedestrians do not use the established crosswalks at the ends of the block. Pedestrians must walk out of their way to the ends of the block in order to make a safe crossing.
Local police officers have issued more citations for jaywalking this semester than in previous semesters, Garth Gunderson, campus police director, said.
Officers give warnings or explanations of the law to most students and ask that they not repeat the offense. Pedestrians who are flagrant receive citations.
Citations are also given to motorists who do not yield to pedestrians; this being a more common and dangerous offense.
"One night after a basketball game, a student stepped out into the street and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. The student had a broken leg and had to be transported by ambulance. Since the student was not crossing in a crosswalk it was not the driver's fault, and the pedestrian was the one who was to blame for the accident," Gunderson said.
"I haven't heard of any pedestrian-vehicle accidents, where one of my girls had been hit, but I have seen vehicle accidents caused by people crossing the street," Rosalie Evans, manager of Royal Crest Apartments, said. "It's usually someone slamming on their brakes and then getting rear-ended."
Many of the girls who live at Royal Crest have expressed the need for a crosswalk to Evans, but under Idaho law it is very difficult to establish a crosswalk anywhere but at a corner.
If there is an obvious safety issue, the City Safety Committee will plan along with the city council and work to see if a crosswalk would be a wise choice.
The city attorney is working on a jaywalking law that is even more strict that the state law, Gunderson said. The city is concerned about the safety of pedestrians and drivers along with the efficiency of the traffic system.
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