Students should practice safe transportation

Bill Stegelmeier, a senior studying accounting, jaywalks across the street to get to his class.

A pedestrian is defined in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as a walker. Every day I play the role of  a pedestrian as I travel to class. This is not always the safest task. Pedestrians and cars seem to have different views about how traffic should operate around campus. 

Many times I have stopped walking to accommodate a moving vehicle. While walking to class a couple weeks ago, I had to stop in the middle of the crosswalk to wait for a car that was not paying attention. It flew past me so fast that it had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting me.  

According to Idaho Statute 49-702, “When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping, if need be, to yield to a pedestrian crossing the highway within a crosswalk.”

Pedestrians should not have to wait for a car to decide when it is going to be convenient for them to cross the street. 

A walker should be able to look both ways and feel comfortable stepping out into the road. Drivers should always pay attention, especially when driving around campus. 

There are lots of drivers who seem to be in a hurry. They never glance left or right to see if a pedestrian might be trying to cross the street. Some drivers press the accelerator the second they see someone attempting to use a crosswalk. 

Drivers are not the only ones lacking etiquette. Pedestrians are also reckless in their walking. There are a handful of students around campus who jaywalk. Students should not dart out from behind parked cars in hopes of making it across a busy street. 

Also, cars who stop for jaywalking students are just encouraging a bad habit. Many times students will step out into the road while texting on their cell phones. This leaves their life in the hands of a driver. 

We learn at a young age that streets are dangerous. Why can’t we apply this same principle as an adult? Pedestrians and drivers need to be more alert and cautious. There is no reason for a student to get hit by a car. Let’s practice safe transportation at BYU-Idaho. 

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