I’ve always loved living where I can walk to what I need. I grew up in the countryside, and we had to drive to get anywhere from our neighborhood right off the highway. When I came to Miami University, it was so nice not to worry about getting in the car when I could just walk everywhere I needed to go.
When I moved off campus last year, my walk became much longer, and the flashing crosswalks at Miami no longer protected me. Theoretically, I should have still been safe. I wasn’t walking anywhere I wasn’t supposed to, always taking the sidewalks and never jaywalking. But is staying in designated crosswalks enough to keep me safe?
Not anymore.
In the span of about a month, two people have been hit at crosswalks by vehicles, both being severe enough for a hospital trip. Drivers may feel entitled, but pedestrians have the right of way. There are stop signs at these crosswalks for a reason.
I saw the accident by McGuffey Hall and watched the victim being wheeled away in a stretcher. I saw the ambulance – it’s terrifying to think about.
Even as a driver, coming to intersections like Spring Street and Campus Avenue feels dangerous. People don’t know how to wait their turn anymore, and four-way stops often turn into “I go when I want to.” I think I’ve honked more in Oxford than I have anywhere else.
So it feels even worse to be walking through the same intersection without the protection of a massive chunk of metal surrounding me. My fears aren’t unfounded either, since that’s literally where one of the accidents happened.
So is it the driver’s fault or the pedestrian’s fault? Even if the pedestrian wasn’t crossing “when they were supposed to,” it’s still your responsibility as a driver to watch where you are going and be aware of your surroundings. It’s ridiculous to give a free pass to both of these Jeeps for things like “low visibility” or carelessness.
If you’re not paying attention to where you’re moving your car, you shouldn’t be driving.
People also don’t need to fly through campus, or town for that matter. A lot of streets have a limit of 25 mph. No one should be approaching a crosswalk fast enough to cause serious damage to a pedestrian.
I shouldn't feel unsafe walking home. Drivers in Oxford lack care and respect for people walking. It’s shown in accidents or even by plowing through a crosswalk as people are crossing it. I’ve been crossing the street using a crosswalk and have had to walk into the road because cars have pulled into the intersection.
It is all of our responsibility to be mindful when driving or walking. We don’t deserve to be afraid just to go from point A to point B.
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Gina Roth is a senior majoring in individualized studies and journalism from Springfield, Ohio. She is an undergraduate assistant for Journalism 101 honors, a barista at King Cafe and a Western Center student worker. Her focus is popular history and its effect on society and politics.
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