Sidewalks, streets pose safety risk for students

At least 34,000 extra people are packing the streets and sidewalks of Columbia now that three local colleges are back in school.

All the extra foot and motor traffic means more than just added time getting to and from class. It also means increased safety risks to students.

Students on University of Missouri’s campus mostly felt that pedestrians had the right of way, and cars should yield to them.

But University of Missouri police say that drivers, bikers and pedestrians all need to pay attention to each other.

Capt. Brian Weimer also says that bikers need to follow the same laws as drivers do to keep everyone safe.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, two pedestrians are killed and eight are injured every hour from traffic accidents.

Capt. Weimer says the only way to prevent the accidents are to obey the traffic signals and pay attention. He says if anyone breaks the law, they will be ticketed, or worse — injured or killed.