A crosswalk is, ideally, a safe place for pedestrians to traverse roads.
There are several simple ways to make crosswalks safer. At Binghamton University, signs remind drivers of their speed as they approach crosswalk stops. Speed bumps also make drivers slow down. Reflective paint makes crosswalks visible in the dark. Listed thus far, these improvements to campus crosswalks are effective and fairly unobtrusive. But not all “safety” measures keep pedestrians out of harm’s way. The recent addition of motion-triggered strobe lights on two of the crosswalks poses a unique danger to students suffering from epilepsy.
The motion-triggered flashing light crosswalks are located near Newing College and Dickinson Community. When a person walks into the crosswalk, the lights are triggered and continue to flash for a few seconds after the person exits the crosswalk. According to the Whitlock-Weinberger Report, the amber lights should emit a pulse pattern of one second at four to six pulses per second, below the photoconvulsive response frequency indicated by the epilepsy research branch of the National Institutes of Health. Even though the number of pulses falls below this threshold, these strobe lights still have the potential to cause epileptic seizures. A safety measure should not endanger students, faculty or anyone else who visits our campus.
A more minor issue presented by the strobe light crosswalks is the annoyance for students whose rooms and study lounges face the road. The strobe lights are set off whenever someone crosses the road, whether at 1 p.m. or 1 a.m. The spastic flashing disrupts sleep patterns and pre-exam cram session focus.
The installation of the lights is well intentioned, but less harmful alternatives are possible. The 2013-2014 Personal Safety Advisory Committee raised valid campus concerns over driver awareness and the tendency of pedestrians to cross roads at will. Embedded reflectors could serve as an effective alternative to strobe lights, alerting walkers and drivers to the presence of sidewalks. Unlike strobe lights, reflectors will not disrupt or harm students and faculty.
Pedestrian and driver safety is important. Binghamton University should do everything in its power to minimize danger and preventable accidents on its grounds. The decision to install strobe lights is a short-sighted one. The benefits of strobe lights can be achieved through alternative technologies that are safe for everyone.