NIH’er Urges Vigilance

With Return-To-Office occurring and more drivers and pedestrians on campus and at our off-campus facilities, it’s a good time to remind both drivers and pedestrians to be vigilant and follow traffic laws.

Drivers should drive the speed limit, stop at stop signs and crosswalks with pedestrians, and keep an eye out for pedestrians in general, especially in parking lots and garages. Parking lots and garages are not the place to test out your NASCAR skills. Personally, I’ve nearly been run down by drivers in the Bldg. 10 parking garage by drivers in too much of a hurry.

Pedestrians should put their phones away, not jaywalk, use the crosswalks, and look before crossing. As a driver, I’ve had many pedestrians walking along a sidewalk either turn and step off the sidewalk where there is no crosswalk or abruptly turn and enter a crosswalk without making sure I’ve seen them. Since pedestrians do not have turn signals, I can’t read your mind that you’re going to turn and suddenly enter the crosswalk when I’m mere feet from it.

We’ve already had at least one death from a car/pedestrian incident on campus in recent years; we don’t need another tragedy. Be careful out there. —Anonymous