There’s a new HAWK on campus—the High-intensity Activated crossWalK beacon. Created by Transportation Administrator R.B. Nassi, the HAWK system has spread across the United States to protect pedestrians. The HAWK system was recently introduced to the Wilcox campus to help Wilcox students and patrons of the community feel safe.
According to Kansas State University, approximately 97% of drivers abide by the HAWK signals, which can reduce the amount of pedestrian and vehicle crashes by as much as 69% in locations where the HAWK is introduced. HAWKs have been popping up all over the Wilcox community. First appearing on major streets, a fresh HAWK system now appears in front of Wilcox on Monroe. As principal Kristin Gonzalez states, “[the HAWKs are] a huge improvement in student safety.” She explains that the Wilcox Administration is “excited that the City has partnered with Santa Clara Unified School District to add this new safety feature for our students.”
So how does it work? Like regular intersections, pedestrians waiting to cross press the crosswalk button to indicate an intention to safely cross the street. Yellow lights then flash to signal drivers to slow down and prepare to stop for pedestrians. The light changes to a red solid light and pedestrians are signaled to cross. After a set time, the red light switches to a strobe setting. Once the red light goes away, it is a signal for cars to continue down the road. Unless you live in California, of course, in which drivers wait patiently for pedestrians to cross their lane before speeding along. Those who actually wait for the light to change are honked at by other crazy drivers until they are forced to speed away themselves. Pedestrians crossing the street with the HAWK system should still be careful crossing the street, even with the right of way. Because although there are giant signs above the crosswalk with clearly stated instructions, the new crosswalk lights can be confusing for some who are yet to be familiar with the HAWK system.
The HAWK system was first created in 2000 in Tuscan, Arizona, where it was first intended to protect pedestrians from reckless drivers while they cross the street. After nine long years, the HAWK was approved by United States Departement of Transportation and is now effectively ignored by drivers in the West. The HAWK system has spread to multiple states, including various parts of California, where its increasing popularity is decreasing the number of motorist accidents involving pedestrians. One of the first two HAWK crosswalks was introduced to Silicon Valley this past fall, and according to San Jose Mercury News, government officials in the Bay Area hope to make HAWK Crosswalks a common occurrence throughout California. According to LA Times, California has been one of the leading states in pedestrian deaths in the United States. Officials hope that the new Crosswalk Technology will reduce the number of accidents in California and that the system will spread to communities all over the United States.
According to San Jose Mercury News, HAWK crosswalks are expected to spread all over Santa Clara County and San Jose in the upcoming years. Hopefully, Californians will soon understand how the HAWK crosswalks work, so the increasingly popular crosswalk technology can effectively protect pedestrians. While California is still a leading state in pedestrian deaths, the number of deaths fell significantly since the first installment of the HAWK system according to Daily News. With easy to understand, new and improved traffic laws like those of the HAWK crosswalk, those numbers are expected to continue to drop.