According to Director of Public Safety and Police Services Mike Bath, many complaints have come to the Public Safety office in recent weeks regarding students walking blindly into crosswalks on campus.

Bath said he has received a handful of calls concerning students who do not stop to see if cars are approaching crosswalks and walk in front of cars with out looking to see if any cars are coming.

He said the combination of distracted drivers and distracted walkers or bikers can result in an especially bad circumstance.

“Nobody has been hit, but you’ve heard of the phrase ‘distracted driving’,” he said. “Well I use that right up there with distracted walking. And if you put the two together, it could be a dangerous situation.”

The biggest issue with crosswalks is that cars may not be able to stop as quickly as necessary for a walker who doesn’t stop or look and just walks into the street. This is especially true in the winter months, according to Bath.

“When cars have to slam on their brakes because someone just walked right out in front of them in the crosswalk, (it’s a problem),” Bath said. “Especially with the cold weather, when a lot of people have their hoods up and their iPods in their ears or they’re texting as they’re walking and not paying attention.”

Bath said those who walk, bike, or drive on campus should remain appropriately vigilant as they travel around campus, suggesting that all parties slow down or stop at crosswalks and remain alert and undistracted.