New Speed Bumps Give Students Pause

PLNU safety experts have been working to prevent accidents on campus. Over the summer, new speed bumps were installed around campus. The new speed bumps are smaller and your car may not bottom out on them as it did on the older speed bumps. They’re also more noticeable in black and yellow. So students should take more notice, right? 

According to Public Safety officer Devon Rayos, the new speed bumps haven’t made much of a difference. This can be seen at the Public Safety booth leading into campus, where people slowly roll over the speed bump and through the stop sign. 

“It’s definitely unsafe to go right through stop signs,” Rayos said. Students, both drivers as well as those just walking to class, have noticed that drivers on campus frequently ignore speed bumps and occasionally stop signs. However, students have varying perspectives on whether this leads to more safe or unsafe driving. 

Carissa Patel, a sophomore business finance major, believes the driving on campus to be safe and although the new speed bumps “seem to be fine” they can also “be a bit much,” Patel said. She attributes near incidents and accidents on campus to confusion between whose turn it is to go rather than people following roadside. 

However, Gabrielle Debenedetto, a sophomore Environmental Studies major, has found these new speed bumps helpful. DeBenedetto said  she feels a lot safer this year than last year. 

So, how do pedestrians stay safe when student drivers simply ignore campus safety measures such as speed bumps and stop signs? The new speed bumps were a good start, but it’s not the responsibility of campus officials to make students drive safely. It’s up to the students.