Stony Brook University held its first Pedestrian Safety Day, Wednesday Feb. 27, during campus lifetime at the Student Activities Center in an effort to promote and inform faculty and students about on-campus safety precautions, particularly for commuter students.
The Stony Brook Alumni Association hosted the event in collaboration with Liberty Mutual Insurance, its business partner of 14 years, as part of Serious for Safety, a campaign dedicated to keeping the residents and commuters safe in all forms. The campaign is dedicated to promoting physical, mental and psychological safety for students. Campus police were also present to inform students about on-campus safety regulations and initiatives.
“With increasing student commuters on campus, it’s a priority that students are educated on how to safely live on campus,” said Matthew Colson, executive director of Alumni Relations.
The event followed a recent incident in which a student pedestrian was run over by a police officer at night. Spokespeople from Campus Police, the Alumni Association and Liberty Mutual Insurance did not specify whether or not the events were related to one another.
“All we’re doing is promoting safety,” said Edward Beekman, an LMI Executive Sales Representative. “That’s our motto actually. Helping people live safer and better lives.”
Volunteers handed out flashing safety reflectors to help students alert oncoming drivers at night when walking or ride their bicycles. Campus Police said another obstacle to pedestrian safety includes distractions, such as texting and listening to music on iPods when crossing roads.
“They’re not paying 100 percent to what they’re doing,” said Police Inspector Thomas Clark.
But many students, including commuters were unaware of the event, saying that it was not well-publicized around the campus community.
“Nobody knew about it,” said Amoret Moore, a commuter student. “They need to do more to raise awareness because I didn’t see any flyers. And usually, I’m very good about that. Or at least put out an email.”
