City marshall urges student crosswalk safety

Approximately 115,000 pedestrians were killed from 2000 to 2009 in Georgia, according to Transportation for America. Since 2009, fatalities are still occurring all around Georgia, and college cities are hot spots for pedestrian traffi c injuries. With 6,000 students walking to and from Georgia College’s campus each day, it is imperative that drivers and pedestrians alike be aware of each other.

On Aug. 24, Vice President of Student Affairs Bruce Harshbarger sent out an email to the student body concerning safety precautions when using crosswalks. This concern was brought to his attention by City Marshall and Director of Public Works Jack Graham. Graham is “in charge of code enforcement: student laws, parking in front of student houses, sidewalks in disrepair, etc.,” Harshbarger said.

“Many students are assuming that they have the right-ofway, and that vehicles must stop for them if they are in a crosswalk,” Graham said in an email sent to Harshbarger. “These students often don’t look, don’t acknowledge oncoming vehicles, don’t acknowledge the ‘Walk / Don’t Walk’ signs and just walk into harm’s way.”

In the past, both Detective Michael Baker and Harshbarger have said there have been students hit by vehicles.
“The intersection of Hancock and Clarke streets has been the scene of several such accidents,” Harshbarger said.

“People have gotten hit by log trucks before,” Harshbarger said, noting that because Hancock Street is a state highway, many log trucks travel through town. According to him, the students were “fortunately knocked down by them,” and not severely hit.

Although a serious accident has not occurred this year, Public Safety and Graham are trying to avoid pedestrians accidents through education.

Public Safety offi cers stood on the corners of campus at the beginning of the semester to promote safe and legal cross walking.
Harshbarger says he does not “know anyone who has been cited for jaywalking,” but correct crossing is encouraged.
Occasionally jaywalking laws are enforced, but Baker says that normally, Public Safety “(doesn’t) really give tickets for jaywalking” and usually gives verbal warnings.
Public Safety does give tickets out for darting into traffic, Baker said.
Harshbarger says students are also to blame for lack of attention. “I’ve noticed a lot of people looking at the phone or students crossing the street while listening to music,”

Harshbarger strongly advocates for pedestrians and drivers to use caution and remain aware of each other.
“We all know that drivers are sometimes distracted for one reason or another, the sun, a cellphone call, adjusting the radio, etc.,” Graham said in an email sent to Harshbarger. “It’s just not worth the risk to avoid everything that you have been taught.”