By Emily Carson
News Editor
Safety and Security has implemented new policies in order to ensure the safety of drivers on and off campus.
“The Safety and Security department is concerned about vehicle safety for the campus community in general,” said Vito Czyz, director of safety and security.
Safety and Security will run random speed checks with radar guns on campus, Czyz said.
“We have determined that the best way to control speed and prevent campus community members from disregarding traffic control devices is to randomly run checks,” Czyz said. “In running checks, we utilize radar to determine speed and visual observation to determine if someone disregarded a traffic control sign.”
Czyz said the current speed limit is 15 mph, which is standard on many college campuses. Tickets will be written to drivers going at least 15 miles over the speed limit. A warning is given to students who are slightly above the speed limit on their first offense.
“Some were far in excess of that,” he said. “Since the beginning of the semester, we have issued numerous verbal warnings and less than 10 moving violations.”
The exact time and days Safety and Security will be running speed checks will not be publicized. Czyz hopes this will help to decrease the amount of accidents on and off campus.
“According to national statistics, speed is the number one direct contributor to vehicle accidents in the United States,” he said.
Safety and Security also plans to watch drivers closely and look for those who have been drinking. Czyz said that if a driver is suspected of drinking and driving, their keys will be taken away. If the driver refuses, the police will be called.
“We do not want to endanger anyone on campus or in the community by having to encounter a drunk driver behind the wheel,” he said. “We consider this a fair option for everyone, and our primary goal is the safety of all students and SBU community members.”
Czyz said Safety and Security is asking all drivers to monitor their speed and abide by traffic control signs.
“There are several areas on campus where pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic merge,” he said. “Everyone needs to pay attention to their surroundings.”
