By the Chronicle Editorial Board
Now that spring is finally upon us, there are definitely more people out and most importantly there are more people walking, or on bikes, scooters and motorcycles as the temperature rises toward summer, and it is up to all of us to make sure that these people are seen on the road, by putting down the phones or other distractions and paying attention ourselves when driving, especially around populated campuses.
Time and time again one hears about the rise of pedestrian and bicyclist related car accidents every spring, because there are more people out and about versus the winter months.
So drivers need to take these people into consideration while commuting and anticipate congested areas or leave early to ensure that someone slowly riding their bike in front of the car for a few miles will not make someone late to where they are going.
Distracted driving has become a prevalent and sustaining reality of the times, and it is crucial to be a defensive driver in order to anticipate the people who just do not pay attention on the road, because in 2012 alone, 3,328 were killed in distracted driving crashes, according to distraction.gov.
Also, Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard had the highest number of bicycle related crash rates from 2006 to 2010, while Central Avenue and San Mateo Boulevard hard the highest pedestrian related crash rates, according to mrcog-nm.gov, which shows that the congestion from commuters and campuses in these areas really should make people pay more attention.
Since February the Chronicle has heard about a handful of pedestrian and bike accidents at Main campus, so when you drive, make sure you are paying attention to EVERYONE on the road including bikes in blind spots and on foot commuters, instead of just paying attention the text you got or the facebook status you just had to like at that moment, because it is not worth dying for, or hurting someone else while driving.
Everyone be safe out there and have a great summer with many adventures and life experiences to write home about this season.