Safety First
Stoplights and Crosswalks Installed to Protect Texting Teens
by Sarah Thomas
Principal Promotes Safety Among Students
Principal Michael Kountze announced on March 27, 2016, that in the coming school year, stoplights and crosswalks will be installed in the school hallways of Ridgeview High School to protect the students as they text and walk simultaneously as they move from class to class. Kountze addressed the current rise of the cellphone to student ratio, a staggering 15:1, and how that can be directly related to the increase in accidents and fatalities among people who often collide with walls, cars, fellow texters, and even sidewalk curbs as they can't seem to draw their eyes away from their smartphone screens. "It's become a serious issue," says Principal Kountze, "and now we're taking action to protect the lives of our students." Faculty and Administrative staff members are still working out the kinks in the future system, and are looking for a solution to the issue of students having to drag their gaze from their phones to see what color the stoplights are showing. "We highly value the safety of our students," says student council President Gramm Insta, "and I truly believe that these modifications to our school system will greatly reduce the risk of injuries among my fellow peers." According to the observant staff, the problem isn't in the students' texting and walking habits, but rather in the obstacles that seem to always get in their way.
Pros of the Stoplight/Crosswalk Addition
- Students will no longer need to look up from their cellphones as they walk through the hallways. The stoplights and crosswalks will allow traffic to flow much more easily, with lanes for non-texters (a select few) and/or texters.
- Medical expenses will be greatly reduced, seeing as the stoplights and crosswalks will eliminate the risk of student collisions.
- Parents are completely on board, knowing that their children will now be safe in their school hallways.
- This will lead to even more innovation for the future of the school, possibly influencing the addition of moving sidewalks in the hallways so that the students won't even have to take a step.