OPINION | Respect The Road

Road safety is a two-way street. Pedestrians and drivers need to be more respectful and aware of each other on the streets.
Walkers are a little too comfortable crossing campus streets. Last week, I almost hit two pedestrians because they walked across the street without paying attention to oncoming traffic. One of them was on the phone and did not look up the entire time he   was crossing the street.
If a driver happened to be distracted at that moment, the pedestrian could have been seriously injured or killed because of their disregard.
Nighttime drivers have to be especially cautious because walkers will just move into the street without regard to any oncoming traffic. Pedestrians act as though they are invincible.
Students walk down the middle of the street that runs behind Atherton and in front of Fairbanks with a sense of entitlement. Walkers could share the road and walk on the side, allowing traffic to pass.
Now that the weather has made driving conditions worse, pedestrians should be more cautious when they are on or around streets.
Safety and respect go both ways. Everyday drivers roll through stop signs and fly through crosswalks like they are the only ones on the road. It seems like every time I slow down to drive around the bend in front of the HRC, I have someone riding my bumper because I am going too slow for them.
Now that we are in the thick of winter, drivers need to be extra cautious about pedestrians and other drivers.
By slowing down and abiding by the laws, drivers drastically reduce their chances of harming themselves or someone else. Drivers need to remember that, if they hit someone, they will be held responsible if it is their fault or not.
It is in everyone’s best interest to respect others on the road.

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