The University has seen an increase in accidents involving vehicles on campus since the start of the semester. According to University Police Chief Craig Jacuzzo, the increase is slight and is a result of the increase in traffic with the beginning of school.

“We haven’t had a serious pedestrian accident for about a year and a half,” Jacuzzo said.

A trouble spot on campus since the beginning of the semester has been the intersection of Audubon and Ardoyne drives between 2:30 and three o’clock in the afternoon. The Max Charter School dismisses students at this time and this creates a congested traffic area.

“The biggest congestion area is where parents are picking up students,” Jacuzzo said.

A large number of accidents occur on Bowie Road where students park on the side of the road, according to Jacuzzo.

University Police has taken measures to decrease the amount of traffic incidents on campus. Jacuzzo said University Police has issued tickets for speeding and parking violations.

Changes have also been made on campus to help reduce the number of accidents. Parking spaces have been changed so that cars are parked facing the flow of traffic on one-way streets.

The increase in the availability of parking on campus has helped decrease the number of accidents caused by someone trying to park in a space that is too narrow. The University has also widened parking spaces in some of the parking lots.

Some accidents occur when cars brush up against each other or back up into each other when entering a parking space, Jacuzzo said. A driver with a visual impairment or other obstruction of view usually causes these accidents.

According to Jacuzzo, when an accident occurs on campus, University Police works the accident. Officers make reports and provide assistance, if needed, to people involved in the accident.

To prevent these accidents, drivers need to think safety first. Jacuzzo said be patient, respect stop signs and pedestrian crosswalks. Jacuzzo also said look twice before moving a vehicle, removie anything that may be blocking the view and surrender the right of way if it will prevent an accident.

Jacuzzo said University Police has worked to increase safety by making the crosswalks more visible at night.

“Students, visitors, faculty and staff are respecting crosswalks,” Jacuzzo said.