As students rush across the streets in an attempt to make it to
class on time, some may not realize the costly consequences of
ignoring traffic signals.
In an effort to ensure the safety of pedestrians, the university
police and the West Los Angeles police division actively enforce
the law by handing out jaywalking tickets to violators.
W. Proctor, a West Traffic Division motor officer, said once the
penalties determined by the court are added onto the initial $35
fee, the cost can reach up to $130. The court determines the
penalties based on the violator’s prior ticket records, and
the fees have recently gone up considerably, Proctor said.
Some feel that the harsh penalties are justified by the
incentive to protect the jaywalkers from their bad decisions.
“Pedestrian accidents are the leading traffic fatalities
in Los Angeles,” Proctor said. “We hand out tickets in
an effort to lower these numbers. People do not realize how
dangerous jaywalking is and how disproportionate these fatalities
are in comparison to other motor vehicle accidents,” he
said.
However, no pedestrian fatalities have been reported on the UCLA
campus over the past few years, said Nancy Greenstein, a
spokeswoman for the UCPD.
Police are often sent out in response to complaints of
jaywalkers by motorists and concerned observers, she said.
“Usually the UCPD does not patrol the campus looking for
jaywalkers, but we do send them in response to complaints.
Sometimes pedestrians call us, reporting the drivers who fail to
obey traffic signals, and they are ticketed as well,” she
said.
Problem areas include the streets surrounding De Neve Plaza as
well as those near Lot 9, Greenstein said.
The opinions of UCLA students regarding the ticket enforcement
range from ardent approval to ambivalence to vehement disdain.
Second-year undeclared student Tre Reinhart recently received a
$114 fine for illegally crossing Gayley Avenue at 2 a.m. He was not
pleased with the ticket.
“I don’t understand why they would choose to punish
a sober jaywalker instead of one of the many underage drinkers who
were holding open beverages in public at that time … As long as
someone isn’t interrupting traffic or endangering their
lives, jaywalking should be fine,” he said.
Others who have not been ticketed expressed similar
perspectives.
“The police shouldn’t give out fines because
pedestrians know how to watch out for themselves.
“If they look both ways on the side streets where there is
little traffic, it shouldn’t be a problem,” said Marlyn
Hwang, a fourth-year sociology student.
Some students believe fines make the area safer for drivers and
pedestrians.
“Jaywalking can be efficient for the pedestrian but not
those driving. It seems that students are especially prone to
jaywalking and have no concern for anyone but themselves,”
said Randi Replogle, a second-year business economics student.
Drivers can also get in accidents trying to avoid jaywalkers,
said Joe Paz, a second-year electrical engineering student.