A new study conducted by the Safety Department finds that despite all efforts to keep them safe, pedestrians still find ways to hurt themselves.
Out of 134 total interactions between vehicles and pedestrians studied, more than half ended in angry words yelled out of rolled down windows and injuries to pedestrian self-esteem.
"Drivers follow traffic signs and regulations, so why can't they?" said Barry Finnegan, driver of a Chevy Silverado.
Finnegan works at UNC Hospitals and has to drive down Manning Drive every day.
"I drive up Ridge Road and get in the turning lane to get onto Manning. I'll get a turn signal to go, but pretty much every day I have to slam on the brakes to let some idiot kid run across," Finnegan said.
Results of the study found that college kids just don't care about their well-being or the safety of others.
Although the majority of the students studied were first-years, the lack of general human sincerity and kindness is shared among upperclassmen and underclassmen alike.
Walter Nunez, a junior communications major, is a resident adviser in Ehringhaus Residence Hall. His position as an authority figure and role model has no effect on his crosswalk habits.
"If I get hit by a car, it's fine. They can pay my tuition," Nunez said.
There were a few outliers among the results of the study. One such student, first-year environmental science major Rebecca Chang, said that she tries her hardest to follow traffic laws and not give in to peer pressure.
"Sometimes I'm tempted to cross with the crowd, but once a semi barreled through and whipped the baseball cap off this frat guy's head and I haven't been tempted since," Chang said.
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