By Вen Li
Campus Security hopes to keep drivers safe this Bermuda Shorts Day. Electronic signs indicating the speed of passing vehicles will be erected prior to the festivities on Thu., Apr. 17.
“This year we will be putting a great deal of effort into having a campaign prior to BSD,” said Traffic Awareness Program coordinator Scott Donselaar. “We feel that is an important time of year, when drivers may be faced with a wide range of decisions ranging from to driving while intoxicated, to driving a vehicle which is overloaded with passengers.”
According to Donselaar, the Traffic Awareness Program started in the fall of 2001 as a joint venture among Campus Security, University of Calgary Parking Services and the Calgary Police Service to educate drivers about safe motoring.
Donselaar also hopes that the signs will alert motorists to speed limits in specific areas.
“The university is a unique environment where people can forget the rules of the road apply,” he said. “I would ask that anyone using a campus roadway stay cognisant speed limit and mindful of the pedestrian traffic. If each of us respects that, then this will be the safest place to drive.”
Though drivers will probably notice the speed signs the most, the goal of Campus Security also includes awareness and education.
“It is hard to gauge the success of a program such as this,” Donselaar said. “We are focused on the education aspect of the program and each time we run an information session or operate a manned speed board, we see a noticeable improvement in driving habits. We feel our success will be derived by providing the information to the campus public and hopefully impacting those persons enough to make responsible decisions while they are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.”
Of course, Donselaar hopes that BSD celebrants will not drive at all that day.
“We hope by providing information to the campus prior to this event we will see people making the responsible choice,” he said.
Though unconfirmed at press time, bracelets allowing access to the beer gardens on BSD will allow students to take Calgary Transit for free, according to Students’ Union Vice-President Events Irene Enyedy.
Bracelets can be obtained from a table located in the MSC North Courtyard from April 10-16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Extra officers from the Calgary Police Service are scheduled on hand, including the Checkstop and mounted units on BSD to patrol the expanded beer gardens, intended to accommodate 3,000 patrons.