Dear Dr. Peg,
Now that it is dark earlier, it might be good to remind students, who dress for fashion rather than light-colored winter jackets or clothing with reflective panels, that it is important to look both ways before crossing a street. Yes, Virginia, there are cars on campus. This is especially dangerous around the new dorms at Redondo Road and Las Lomas. I get it, that students do not want to walk all the way to a crosswalk. The crosswalk in that area is not even a real crosswalk, just a pink design in the road that does not show up at night. If you are wearing headphones of any type, you may not be at all able to hear a car, and if the car does not have headlights on, it’s even worse. That was a dangerous area before the new dorms arrived; it’s worse now. Another danger zone is off Redondo Court into the A parking lot near the tennis courts. Foot traffic has increased. Also, walking in traffic lanes is just wrong in any parking lot. Hello! Don’t do it on campus if you wouldn’t walk in traffic lanes on Lomas or on the freeway.
Think about it: if you are smart enough to get into college, you ought to display those smarts by paying attention. The life you save may be your own.
Signed,
Safety Curmudgeon
Dear Curmudgeon,
Thank you for this safety reminder. Walking anywhere in the dark has risk, and if you’re going to share space with cars you need to be extra vigilant. You covered the high points, but I would definitely add texting or talking on your phone to the list of things better not done while crossing the street, night or day.
Street safety is a public health issue. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,432 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2011. Another 69,000 were injured. Three out of four pedestrian deaths occurred in urban areas and 70 percent of those killed were at non-intersections. More men than women are killed and injured this way. 70 percent of deaths occurred at night and many involved alcohol, on the part of the driver or the pedestrian.
In New Mexico, 61 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2012, up from 39 the previous year. Total annual traffic fatalities in New Mexico are around 350, one for each day of the year. Bernalillo County has the highest number of pedestrian fatalities.
A few years ago, the NHTSA, responding to an increase in pedestrian traffic fatalities, offered grant money to cities and states who wanted to change the pattern. The New Mexico Department of Transportation used its NHTSA grant funds to develop a statewide media campaign, “Look for Me,” to educate high-risk pedestrians and motorists. In conjunction with the educational campaign, the State also implemented enforcement operations at targeted intersections and crosswalks, and focused on reducing speeding in school zones and on neighborhood streets and rural roadways.
The enforcement campaign started in October 2011 and will be evaluated soon to determine whether there were measurable changes in yielding behavior and citations.
In case you missed the ads, here are some basic common sense ways you can avoid becoming a statistic:
Walk on sidewalks when you can. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing the oncoming traffic but as far from traffic as possible. Don’t walk in the median.
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Pay attention. Unplug the headphones, and don’t talk on the phone or text.
Cross at marked crosswalks or intersections if possible, where drivers are expecting to see you. If there is no marked crosswalk, try to find a lighted section and walk straight across rather than at an angle. This decreases the time you are on the road.
Look in all directions for cars before you cross, so you don’t miss turning vehicles.
Never assume a driver sees you. Make eye contact if possible.
Be visible at all times. This might mean light-colored clothing, reflective clothing or a flashlight at night.
Stay clear headed. Avoid mind altering substances before hitting the road, with feet or wheels.
Dr. Peggy Spencer is a physician at Student Health and Counseling. She is also co-author of the book “50 Ways to Leave Your 40s.” Email your questions directly to her at pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered, and all questioners will remain anonymous.
