We college students have a bad reputation for acting carelessly when crossing the street and driving, regardless of the time of year. But now that it’s ridiculously cold and snow is covering the ground, people have really forgotten how to act around the streets.

This carelessness can be more than a little dangerous. Being reckless when trying to cross the street doesn’t just put yourself at risk, but plenty of others as well.

While the person crossing the street might not ultimately get hit by a car, their actions can lead to a car accident if someone has to break quickly, as the roads are slippery from snow and ice. Even if no accident occurs, drivers can still be left worried about almost hitting a pedestrian.

From a driver’s perspective, this is almost as scary as actually hitting someone. Senior animal science major Kylie Lynch was lucky enough to see a pedestrian before reaching the crosswalk.

“I was about 20 feet from entering the intersection and saw that I had a green light,” Lynch said. “I saw this girl suddenly run in front of my car, and I slammed on my breaks. I was worried that I wouldn’t stop in time because there was snow on the road.”

Not everyone in a situation like that can be quite as lucky. Especially right before the end of winter finals, there was almost always snow falling, causing limited visibility.

As someone that typically walks through campus, I’ve had the opposite experience.

Crossing Stadium Way during any weather can be a tricky task, depending on the location you want to cross. Nevada Street seems to be one of the hardest because it’s on the edge of campus and a hill, despite having an intersection light.

Any student who lives in the Stephenson complex will most likely find themselves having to cross Stadium Way for one reason or another this winter, and if they have to be somewhere on the south side of campus, chances are that Nevada will be their chosen route.

With snow on the ground and visibility low, drivers aren’t always as careful as they should be. Many drivers aren’t used to driving in the snow – or at least they drive like they aren’t – and quite a few seem to lack the proper tires for driving in snow and icy conditions.

Driving up Stadium Way in the winter is a challenge, even with the right tires. I’ve seen countless people lose traction and slip on the snow and ice, and I’ve even watched some people get stuck in the middle of the intersection. Drivers who have a green light when coming down the hill aren’t always prepared to stop in a timely manner, and some end up entering the intersection or blocking the crosswalk because they can’t stop.

For pedestrians who also have limited visibility, walking through campus is unnerving because they can never be sure that it is actually safe to cross the street.

It seems that some drivers don’t care that conditions are bad, as they continue to drive faster than they should, disregarding the safety of themselves and others. But equally as dangerous are pedestrians who continue the bad habit of dashing across the street without looking.

So, slow down people. If it means leaving a little bit earlier than normal to get where you are going, then so be it. We should care more about our safety as Cougs than how fast we can get somewhere.

Alex Davis is a freshman neuroscience major from Kennewick. He can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of The Office of Student Media.