Safety is always a concern, but with recent construction, students and non-students need to be extra cautious when on and around campus.

Thursday’s accident showed the possibility that something safety-related can happen at ACU. People with any relation to the school should take the bike accident as a warning to prevent future accidents.

ACU police chief Jimmy Ellison said the ACU community is on borrowed time concerning another accident and gave some tips to be safe on campus.

When on or around the newly constructed Lunsford Foundation Jogging Trail, everyone should be aware of the potential risks of using it. Walkers, rollerbladers and cyclers may have the right of way, but as Ellison said, the car will win the battle.

“Who will be at fault in the next accident isn’t the issue. If you’re a pedestrian or a bicyclist, you’re always going to lose that battle,” Ellison said. “It’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight.”

Bicyclists should take extra care on the trail because of the speed they can carry. If you walk or jog, then you can stop when you need to; you have a better reaction time.

Ellison gave us a list of safety precations all students can heed when exercising on or around campus:

+ ‘ Watch your speed in parking lots.

+ ‘ If you are out at night, it is best to be in groups and have a cell phone with you.

+ ‘ Emergency call boxes are around the jogging trail. They are a direct link to 911 and a visual deterrent to predators.

+ ‘ Walk and drive safely around the construction sites, particularly around the Jacob’s Dream Sculpture. Police will now be posted by it until the sculpture is complete.

+ ‘ Don’t blow off traffic concerns on or off campus. Ellison said not everyone in houses around school are college students and won’t have the same reaction time a college student would. The ACU Police Department gets many complaints about the driving speed of students from the university.

+ ‘ Beware of new crosswalks near Barrett Hall. Pedestrians and cyclists have the right of way.

The ACU Police Department is also doing its part to serve the ACU community.

Respect the safety of each other and respect the safety of yourself. Pay attention to how fast you are going, what you can do to better protect yourself and those around you and spread the word about safety on and off campus.