UNC’s campus was built for pedestrians. If possible, driving should be avoided there altogether, as it mostly creates hassles and risks to safety. But people will drive on UNC’s campus as long as we live in a car-dependent culture.
Still, when they do, drivers should recognize they are on pedestrian-dominated turf, and drive with patience and caution.
Drivers on UNC’s campus must drive with the understanding that occupying the roads means sometimes waiting for long streams of pedestrians to cross; it means following speed limits, which is imperative in a place when people will unexpectedly walk out into the middle of the street; and it means paying extra attention when visibility is poor.
Extra care is especially incumbent on drivers who are much better protected from the dangers of collisions than pedestrians.
Pedestrians must also be conscious of the dangers of the roads around them. This doesn’t mean pedestrians should give up right-of-way privileges or have to walk through campus in a fearful state, but it does mean caution near the roads is warranted.
The town of Chapel Hill has a Wikimap that allows commenters to point out dangerous spots for pedestrians. It can be accessed through the “walk” page on UNC’s transportation and parking website.
In addition, drivers planning to move through UNC’s campus should leave well in advance of when they are due somewhere. Impatience is a dangerous state of mind to have on campus, where traffic is slow, corners are hard to see around and pedestrians are everywhere.
Small actions can have a major impact in avoiding highly avoidable tragedies.
