Crosswalks are not only a benefit to our roads, they are essential to our community. As someone who doesn’t have a car this year at school, I’m really glad that so many crosswalks are provided on campus for pedestrians like me, like the crosswalks that involve the yield signs that light up when someone presses the button to cross. 

However, the crosswalks on campus have some people feeling, well, cross. Many pedestrians are angry at drivers who don’t properly obey crosswalks, and many drivers are angry at the fact that they are expected to suddenly stop after a pedestrian hits the cross button. While both are valid concerns, I’m inclined to side with the pedestrians. 

Drivers are no stranger to the rules of the road such as stopping at a traffic light or a stop sign, yielding at a traffic circle, or waiting for your right of way at a four-way stop. All of these rules are put in place to protect the driver, which is why they are often followed cautiously by drivers everywhere. 

There is only one rule that protects a pedestrian, and that is a crosswalk. This is why crosswalks are so vitally important. Walking in areas with busy roads is dangerous, and crosswalks are one way to help protect pedestrians safety. Freshman Megan Knierim said that she thinks crosswalks are an essential part of our roads and that drivers should be more aware of them. 

“I think crosswalks are important because they allow people to safely cross the road. If drivers are not paying attention to this then that defeats the purpose. Drivers should pay more attention to them for everyone’s safety,” Knierem said. 

As a pedestrian here at Colorado Mesa University (CMU), I’ve been very disappointed by the number of times a car has ignored the yield sign at the crosswalk and simply sped through, even though I hit the button indicating that I was going to cross. To me, this is not just a sign of carelessness, it’s a sign of bad driving. 

I don’t care how fast you’re going or how hard it is to stop. You’d stop at a stop sign, wouldn’t you? You’d stop for a traffic light, you’d yield at a traffic circle and you’d wait for your right of way at a four-way stop sign. Drivers seem to be fine with obeying traffic rules when the rules protect their own safety, so why can’t they obey traffic rules that protect pedestrians as well? 

Freshman Lauren Ratcliff said that she often feels overlooked and even endangered by drivers, even though the crosswalks are supposed to be there to protect her. 

“I feel like drivers have forgotten that pedestrians always have the right of way and no longer pay attention to crosswalks. Even if there is a crosswalk I don’t always feel safe. I also understand however that crosswalks can be difficult to spot so I think they should all be lit,” Ratcliff said. 

I understand that many drivers are irritated with pedestrians being on their phones and not paying attention as they hit the crosswalk button and continue to walk without noticing their surroundings, forcing the driver to come to a screeching halt. However, that doesn’t erase the fact that protecting pedestrians should be just as important as protecting drivers. 

Crosswalks should be treated with the same importance as stop signs, yield signs, or any other rules that are routinely followed by every driver. In 2016 alone, 5,987 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We need to try our very hardest to help prevent that.