It is undeniable how fast-paced our lives have seemed to become these days. Instant communication, drive-thru and speedier modes of transportation have all ingrained a sense of impatience in our daily lives.
This does not mean we can race through life and around and across campus, oblivious to the safety of pedestrians and other drivers in Commerce. Seriously, we’re beginning to wonder how many people have to get hit by cars in this town for people to take a good hard look at how reckless they are driving.
Already this semester a former professor was hit and killed by a vehicle as he attempted to cross the street. A woman was hit and taken away by ambulance last Thursday from in front of the Ferguson Social Sciences building when, again, an oblivious driver struck her with a car.
Last semester students were hit in a crosswalk, so telling pedestrians to stop jaywalking isn’t necessarily going to stop this problem. Perhaps the light-up crosswalk signs which show people when it is safe and appropriate to cross the street could be installed around known problem areas; however, this won’t do too much good until people start with an evaluation of their behavior.
People should allow themselves more breathing room in getting from one destination to another, and apparently both drivers and pedestrians would be wise to open their eyes and stay alert as they take what has recently been a life-risking trek across our somewhat unsafe campus streets.