When Doris Okafor, junior in LAS, first came to the University campus, she was in for a rude awakening.

“I learned that cars really didn’t care,” she said. “They just go and so do the buses. You really can’t just go jaywalking.”

However, Okafor admitted that sometimes, pedestrian safety is not the top priority on her mind as she navigates campus.

Recently, she stepped out onto the sidewalk without looking and a biker nearly ran her over. She said the biker was yelling and motioning for her to get out of the way just before he zoomed by.

“Be cautious,” she said. “Watch where you’re stepping.”

University Police Patrol Division Commander Lt. Skip Frost said that students don’t have to learn anything too mind-boggling to stay safe on campus, even with construction going on in various locations.

“Listen to the things that your folks told you,” he said. “Look both ways and be conscious of your surroundings. That is the core principle of safety.”

In the event that there is construction on one side of the street, Frost said that students should avoid the construction area by walking on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, not in the street.

“You can’t walk in the street,” he said. “That’s inherently dangerous.”

While the University campus has signs near crosswalks, Frost said that does not mean that pedestrians are automatically safe.

“The signs are there to alert motorists,” Frost said. “They are not stop signs.”

University Police Crime Prevention Coordinator Tony Ortiz said that pedestrians should make sure that the motorist knows they are crossing.

Ortiz also said that the pedestrian should give the motorist ample time to stop. The motorist may be distracted by food or music and not see the pedestrian standing at the crosswalk.

When student pedestrians are crossing at a signal, both Frost and Ortiz said that they should always obey the traffic signal, whether or not the intersection is clear.

“We’re trying to get people to cross only when the signal applies,” Ortiz said. “That way there are fewer chances of people getting hurt.”

If students are caught disobeying a signal, they could receive a warning. Warnings do not affect a student’s driving record, but they are put into the University Police’s database.

“We do give tickets to pedestrians,” Frost said. “But if you did get one, you earned it.”

Frost said that the University Police department has only issued 83 tickets to students in its jurisdiction in the last year and a half. They have, however, given out thousands of warnings as educational enforcement to deter this dangerous behavior..

On Sept. 9, the University Police will be on the Quad for Safety Awareness Day. Officers there will be focusing on discussing pedestrian safety. Students can talk to them about any questions they have regarding campus safety.

“Your safety is my business,” Frost said. “If you abide by the law you will be very safe on campus.”