NEWS

‘Yield to Heels Day’ to showcase pedestrian safety on campus

CHAPEL HILL -- A pedestrian safety awareness event to help the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill become a safer place to walk and bicycle will be held on Tuesday (Oct. 15) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Developed by UNC’s Highway Safety Research Center and Department of Public Safety, the ongoing "Yield to Heels" campaign aims to inform the public about pedestrian safety by focusing on three messages for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists: Be aware. Be considerate. Be safe.

On Tuesday, volunteers wearing "Yield to Heels" T-shirts will distribute informational fliers about the campaign while stationed with message signs at the pedestrian crosswalks on South Road by the Bell Tower, Pittsboro Street across from the State Employees’ Credit Union, Ridge Road by the George Watts Hill Alumni Center and Manning Drive by the School of Dentistry.

"Many pedestrians and bicyclists believe they have the right of way, but that isn’t always true," said Doug Robertson, director of the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. "If a pedestrian crosses the street at a place other than a designated crosswalk or intersection, the vehicle actually has the right of way, and it is the pedestrian’s responsibility to yield to the vehicle.

"So when we say ‘Yield to Heels,’ we aren’t just telling drivers to yield to pedestrians; we are also trying to let pedestrians know when they need to yield to drivers."

A grant from the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program enabled the Department of Public Safety to establish a three-member traffic and pedestrian safety unit in July 2001. Since its inception, the unit has issued more than 150 citations to motorists for failure to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and 316 speeding citations (mainly in areas with a high volume of pedestrians). The unit has also conducted more than 145 pedestrian safety programs in residence halls, fraternities and sororities.

"Education and awareness must be used along with enforcement," said Chief Derek Poarch, director of the Department of Public Safety. "Pedestrian safety is a top concern, and with the university’s growth, we will continue to emphasize the importance of being safe when walking around campus."

Following the 1999 death of Dr. Fusayoshi Matsukawa, a UNC postdoctoral dentistry fellow who was struck by a car crossing Manning Drive at a marked crosswalk, a 14-member pedestrian safety committee was formed to report recommendations for campus pedestrian safety improvements to the chancellor. The committee’s work has resulted in several traffic engineering improvements on campus, including:

· Upgrades to pedestrian crosswalks including zebra-stripping on roads and fluorescent green pedestrian crossing and warning signs at all campus crosswalks.

· Mid-block traffic islands on South Road in front of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union and in front of the Bell Tower that give pedestrians a refuge when crossing the street and allow them to cross just one direction of traffic at a time.

· A solar-powered flashing light at the Manning Drive crossing near the School of Dentistry.

· Sidewalk additions at the entrance to UNC Hospitals.

· Landscape barriers next to the Craige parking deck between Manning Drive and the sidewalk to prevent pedestrians from cutting into the street to cross at mid-block.

"Even with the improvements, it is important that both pedestrians and drivers use good judgment," said Poarch. "No matter who has the right of way, we all need to be aware, safe and considerate. Pedestrian safety is everyone’s responsibility."

The Department of Public Safety offers the following safety tips to pedestrians:

· Be aware. Look across all lanes you must cross. Even though one vehicle has stopped, another may pass in another lane.

· Be safe. Do not assume drivers can stop. Gauge the flow of traffic before you step out onto the road and wait if necessary.

· Be considerate. Establish eye contact with drivers before crossing.

Driver-oriented safety tips include:

· Be aware when entering a crosswalk area. Be prepared to stop.

· Be safe. Do not overtake and pass other vehicles stopped for pedestrians on your side of the roadway.

· Be considerate. Establish eye contact with pedestrians.

For more information on the "Yield to Heels" campaign, click on http://www.hsrc.unc.edu.

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Note: Photos, a "Yield to Heels" logo and other graphics are available by calling Renee Morin at (919) 962-7803.

UNC Highway Safety Research Center contact: Renee Morin, (919) 962-7803