Pedestrian Safety at UChicago

The week of March 20 is pedestrian safety week at the University of Chicago. Thousands of pedestrians are hit by cars every year in Illinois, and near campus, accidents involving pedestrians and cars have taken place on the Midway Plaisance and other locations. 

This spring the University is taking action to raise awareness of pedestrian safety in its community. As part of this effort, the University has installed temporary orange flags at crossing areas on the Midway—available to everyone in the community.  Pedestrians are invited to use these flags while crossing the street, so they are more visible to oncoming traffic.

The University also published a safety guide, based on information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with simple tips to help local residents stay safe while walking and driving. The main takeaway of these tips is to be aware while crossing the street. While pedestrians have the right-of-way at crosswalks, they should not assume that drivers will see them or stop.

The UChicago safety guide is below:

For drivers:

1. Look for pedestrians everywhere, at all times: Pedestrians may be walking in unexpected areas, or may be hard to see, especially at night, in poorly lit areas or in bad weather.
2. Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or bad weather.
3. Slow down and be prepared to stop when entering a crosswalk.
4. Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Stop well away from the crosswalk to enable other vehicles to see pedestrians and stop as well.
5. Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be people crossing where you can't see.
6. Follow the speed limit. This is especially important when people may be in the street, such as on the Midway Plaisance or in school zones, and in neighborhoods where children are present.
7. Be cautious when backing up.
8. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

For pedestrians:

1. Be aware of your surroundings: Take your headphones and don't look down at your phone while crossing the street.
2. Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals. Don't jaywalk.
3. Walk on sidewalks whenever possible.
4. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
5. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections: Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right.
6. If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely and continue watching for traffic as you cross.
7. Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
8. Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking.

Under Illinois state law, pedestrians have the right-of-way when crossing the street within a crosswalk. But pedestrians still need to be careful when they're crossing the street. Do not assume that drivers will see you or stop.