Sydney Martinez, Campus Carrier opinions editor
Nothing gets your blood pumping like trying to cross the Hermann Hall roundabout while a car flies by you at 40 miles per hour. It should go without saying that speeding is unnecessary and illegal. Unfortunately, for some, it still needs to be said. Maybe it’s the thrill, maybe it’s the adrenaline — but whatever the reason, some students treat campus roads like personal racetracks.
While we may be at a private college, that does not mean traffic rules do not apply. Berry is not a free-for-all. There are posted speed limits and stop signs for a reason. Just because the roads are quieter than a city block doesn’t mean they are racetracks. Speed limits at Berry range from 15 to 25 miles per hour — and yes, they are real.
Just last semester, a student was hospitalized after being struck by a speeding car at the infamous roundabout. That shouldn’t be normal — but at this point, it feels like near-misses happen every day. These limits exist for our safety and people who violate them put others in danger just because they feel like going a little faster.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding is a factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes. Now, Berry is not a highway, but the same principle applies. Higher speeds mean less reaction time and greater impact. One second could be the difference between a close call and a serious injury.
Some drivers even speed up to avoid letting people cross at designated crosswalks. Yes, it’s true that students often cross in large groups on Opportunity Drive — but that does not justify risking their lives by accelerating to beat the crowd. Crosswalks are there for a reason. Slow down, come to a full stop and let people cross.
And let’s talk about those crosswalks. Only two of the four on Opportunity Drive are raised speed bumps — and guess what? People memorize which ones are and aren’t. So, they slow down only when they know it might damage their car, not because they care about pedestrian safety. That’s a problem. All crosswalks should be raised to enforce consistent slowing. Yes, it may be annoying to ease over multiple bumps — but not as annoying as ending up in the ER because someone was too impatient to brake.
Even in areas without raised crosswalks, there are clear signs telling drivers to slow down. Pedestrians have the right of way. Once again, this is a traffic law people seem to ignore.
We’ve all had those mornings — you hit snooze too many times, realize you’re five minutes from class with a ten-minute walk ahead of you and a two-minute drive if you speed and fly through stop signs. But here’s a wild idea: wake up earlier. It’s not groundbreaking. It’s just responsible. Get up, get ready and get to class without treating Berry like a real-life version of Mario Kart.
And the need for speed doesn’t only apply to cars. Scooter riders — you’re not off the hook either. Zipping past pedestrians at 20 miles per hour on the sidewalk isn’t just obnoxious, it’s dangerous. Scooters weave through foot traffic, jump between sidewalks and roads and move unpredictably. That makes them even more dangerous, especially because they move silently and no one hears them coming.
What’s worse, most riders wear zero protection — no helmet, no elbow or knee pads. One bad bump or collision and you’re face-planting into the pavement. Riders are just as at risk of injury as the people they might hit. Scooters may be convenient but they are not worth injuring yourself or others just to make it to class two minutes faster.
At the end of the day, no class, coffee run or club meeting is worth risking someone’s safety — including your own. Berry’s roads and sidewalks are shared spaces, not speedways. So next time you’re tempted to gun it past the crosswalks, take a breath, slow down and remember: being a few minutes late is better than being the reason someone ends up in the hospital.