Reminder on pedestrian safety this winter

With the end of daylight savings time this weekend, we will increasingly be arriving and leaving campus in the dark and often wet weather that can impede visibility. Our campus sits among busy city streets, so it is important to be aware of your surroundings when driving or walking around campus.

Here are a few safety tips to remember.

When walking:

• Cross streets at an intersection or painted crosswalk. Using traffic signals and crosswalk lights is much safer, especially in high-traffic areas.
• Be visible. Wearing light colors or clothes with reflective materials make you stand out. If you're in a very dark area, you might want to carry a flashlight as well, to help see where you're going and make yourself more visible.
• Stay alert. Don't allow yourself to get distracted using your cell phone. Make eye contact with drivers to have a sense of whether they see you.
• Stay on sidewalks, when available. If no sidewalk is provided, it is usually safer to walk facing traffic, as far away from the road as possible.

When driving:

• Yield to pedestrians. At stop signs or when making a turn at a light, be aware that pedestrians always have the right-of-way.
• Watch carefully when entering and exiting parking lots or alleys. These can be very difficult places to spot pedestrians.
• Reduce distractions. Using a cellphone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, or fiddling with your car’s infotainment system only makes your driving more distracted and dangerous.
• Slow down. The speed limit for most roads around and through campus is 25MPH. Especially around crosswalks and intersections, keep your speed at a level where you can easily spot and react to pedestrians.

Finally, for everyone, don’t assume others will follow all the rules. Just because drivers are supposed to be observing traffic laws and pedestrians are supposed to cross at intersections or crosswalks doesn’t mean they will.

The City of Tacoma will be making improvements to the pedestrian crossing at S. 21st & S. C streets, including installation of a fully activated traffic signal (expected to begin construction in January 2025). This will separate pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Also, don’t forget that Campus Safety Escorts are available to walk you to your car (within the campus boundaries) 24/7. You can learn more about state pedestrian laws and safety here.