The Good 5 Cent Cigar

Issue date: 9/29/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Lauren Gingerella RIPTA bus drivers that shuttle students across campus have been watching carefully for students who text while walking.

09/29/09 - Teenagers and college students are classified as one of the most dangerous demographics of drivers, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, at the University of Rhode Island, it is not those behind the wheel that pose the safety problem.

"Pedtextrians" are a growing trend on campus, especially near the URI Memorial Union and the Robert L. Carothers Library, according to Rhode Island Public Transit Authority staff member, Erminio Conte.

Students can be sighted walking to class with their heads bent down, engrossed in their fast-paced texting. This common daily task effectively makes students oblivious to their surroundings.

Similarly, pedestrians using MP3 players are also prone to dangerous situations. Due to playing music at high volumes, some stud are vulnerable to their surrounding environment.

Distracted pedestrians often do not react appropriately to their surroundings, which can result in risky behavior.

RIPTA bus drivers have noticed the alarmingly growing rate of pedtextrians and many have expressed concern.

Freshman Andrew Sabetta has observed this risky tendency firsthand.

"I see people outside my dorm texting almost everyday," Sabetta said. "They don't even see cars or buses coming."

Although common sense tells students to avoid stepping into the path of a moving vehicle, texting has taken the minds of some away from personal well-being and safety.

After the death of a Warwick student last September, RIPTA has increased its awareness and concern about pedtextrians.

Flyers and notices will be soon be posted in each of the RIPTA bus shelters and on the buses, Conte said.

RIPTA hopes increasing awareness of the dangers pedtextrians face will help decrease the problem

Furthermore, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a pedestrian is killed once every 10 minutes in the United States.

To reduce the chance of getting hit by a vehicle, students should avoid walking when distracted and be sure to stop on a sidewalk when texting and keep music at a volume low enough to allow for the awareness of the surrounding environment.

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