By Sheryle Jackson
When BYU student Melissa Keegan crosses the intersection on 9th East, she said she always comes within inches of getting hit.
“The intersection on 9th East is the most dangerous crosswalk in the whole world,” said Keegan, a junior from Monterey, Calif., majoring in media arts.
Local streets have always been a battleground between drivers and pedestrians, but both those on foot and those behind the wheel need to be aware of safety.
When Sara Mills, a freshman from South Jordan, walks to campus from Helaman Halls, she said she often crosses the street in front of some unreliable drivers.
Not long ago, she said, she saw a car run a red light because no one was crossing the crosswalk.
Mills said some students naively believe they have the right of way at all times.
When students are in a rush, some do not want to walk the extra five feet to a crosswalk, Mills said.
While pedestrians may expect cars to see them, some drivers do not plan to stop at every block they come to, she said.
“Either they (pedestrians) have got to warn drivers or pedestrians have got to watch where they are going because somebody is going to get their legs broken,” said Jamie Kearl, a junior from Petaluma, Calif.
The inconsiderate actions of drivers and pedestrians may surprise some students, but Alex Cannon, a senior from Long Beach, Calif., said he feels very comfortable driving at BYU.
“It”s not very bad for me because I have lived in New York, L.A. and Washington, D.C., so I am used to having people just run out right in front of me,” Cannon said. “I always keep my foot on the brake because I know that the little white lines don”t mean anything, and you can walk wherever you want to walk.”
For Will Woo, a junior from Simi Valley, Calif., the rude actions of both pedestrians and the drivers are comparable.
“I don”t have a strong opinion either way because I think that every once in awhile pedestrians do something boneheaded and drivers do something boneheaded, so it all evens out,” Woo said.
Some of the crosswalks on the main streets cause anxiety for pedestrians.
To enhance pedestrian safety, Provo City placed large, orange flags at high-risk intersections. Pedestrians carry a flag while crossing the street as a means of signaling oncoming traffic.
“We think that we have eliminated a lot hits because now, immediately, the cars will stop when they see the orange flag,” said David Bergenthal, a spokesman from city”s Transportation Division. “In my opinion, the flags do just as good of a job as a blinking yellow warning light.”
However, some pedestrians consider the orange flags pointless.
“The flags they put in, they are OK, but half the people don”t pay attention to them anyway, and you just look like a dork carrying them around,” Keegan said.
Despite safety measures, problems do persist.
“There are still a lot of violations because people still don”t recognize the warning signs,” said Lt. Greg DuVal of the Provo City Police. “They don”t recognize the orange flag, or they just don”t adhere to the pedestrians.”
By law, pedestrians have the right of way, but they need to remain mindful of the safety of the drivers as well.
“I recognize that pedestrians have the right of way, but there is some courtesy that should go along with that right towards the drivers,” said Devin Ogden, a junior from Boise, Idaho.
DuVal said it is easier for a pedestrian to stop than it is for a car to stop because a car may require more than a 100 feet to come to a halt.
Still, DuVal said, drivers must always drive defensively.
“We average 3,000 accidents a year,” DuVal said. “In most accidents, many could have done something to aid in their safety.”
With so many students on the road near BYU campus, there are a few streets near campus that are more susceptible to accidents.
DuVal said high-risk areas for accidents include University Avenue between 500 and 4800 North and the area near Provo High School.
