On Nov. 30, The Oakland University Police Department (OUPD) responded to a traffic crash involving a pedestrian and driver. The crash occurred on Meadow Brook Road in front of the Oakland Center. While the pedestrian and driver were distraught following the incident, both left the scene with minor injuries.
The OU Office for the Chief of Police released a public statement recognizing the severity of the vehicle-pedestrian collision. The statement highlighted the high number of incidents involving distracted pedestrians and drivers in recent months.
The statement emphasized the importance of minimizing distractions when navigating campus, which reads as follows:
“Our campus, of course, welcomes many pedestrians to a highly concentrated area. As such, heightened awareness and undistracted preparedness are necessary to avoid what could lead to tragic circumstances.”
The OUPD Chief of Police, Mark Gordon, believes the incident serves as a fine teaching moment for the campus community. Chief Gordon highlights the importance of pedestrian and driver safety when navigating OU’s campus.
“Distracted driving [and walking] is a huge problem in our society right now with cell phones. That’s why we changed the law to make the use of a cell phone while driving illegal. And texting and driving is illegal, as we all know,” Gordon said. “We are doing our best to enforce those laws, but we still have many near-misses by our pedestrian crosswalks.”
Pedestrians ought to ensure their safety by taking note of their surroundings before walking into the roadway.
“Pedestrians need to quit looking at their phones when they are crossing the road. They need to put the phone down, and they need to check and look both ways,” Gordon said. “You don’t have the right of way until you are actually in the pedestrian crosswalk. Just the fact that you are on the curb approaching the roadway does not give you the right of way.”
It is important to note both drivers and pedestrians have a responsibility to abide by Michigan state law when navigating on or across roadways.
With winter weather quickly approaching, Gordon emphasizes it is important to take note of special considerations that arise when navigating snowy and icy conditions.
“As we all know, the amount of time to stop a car on an icy or snowy road is longer. So, persons operating a car ought to drive slower and be aware of road conditions,” Gordon said. “For pedestrians, make sure the driver recognizes you are crossing the road. In ice and snow, it may be harder for the driver to stop promptly for passersby to cross.”
Gordon encourages all campus community members to input the OUPD’s phone number, (248) 370-3331, in their contact list in case of an emergency or non-emergency situation on campus that requires OUPD assistance. Alternatively, 911 may be called for emergencies.
For more information about the OUPD, visit its webpage on the OU website. The OUPD may be contacted via phone at (248) 370-3331 or by email at [email protected].
