URI Police emphasize caution in parking lots after accidents increase

Twenty-three car accidents occurred on the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus between Oct. 21 and Thursday, Oct. 24 – continuing the trend of increased automotive accidents from the beginning of the school year.

Ten of the 23 reports filed occurred on Oct. 24, according to Paul Ricci, the deputy police chief at URI.

This year, URI Police found that two thirds of reported car accidents occurred in parking lots, Ricci said. Unattended cars in parking lots get damaged by misjudgement from drivers; most incidents are scratches, dents or other minor accidents.

The amount of car accidents typically rise when a new semester starts because there is a wave of new student drivers, Ricci said. No longer on foot, students must navigate parking lots and streets of other new drivers. This adjustment can be challenging. As the months go on and students get more acclimated, the number of accidents go down.

To prevent more accidents as the semester progresses, the police department analyzes each report, starting with Sept. 1, to determine possible contributing factors.

The largest amount of car accidents on campus usually happen between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., Ricci said.

There are precautions already put in place to prevent other car accidents unrelated to parking lots, Ricci said. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation gave the police department a traffic grant to stop distracted driving, driving under the influence and to emphasize pedestrian safety.

Drivers do not realize how fast they are going, Dawn Bergantino, the interim assistant director of communications said. They have to be aware of their surroundings, especially along Upper College Road where pedestrians often cross the intersection.

“It’s really about keeping people safe and not punishing them,” Bergantino said.

Announcements are put in place to help student drivers’ adjustment to URI, Bergantino said. Changes in regulations, such as closed parking lots, are communicated to the drivers. Additionally, students are emailed about construction notices and traffic times.

To incentivise safe driving, URI Police officers issue citations and tickets, according to Ricci. These sanctions are not mandatory but are put in place for students to learn from their mistakes.

“The best advice I have to give is pay attention and follow the rules of the road so violations don’t occur,” Ricci said.

Weekly updates about campus incidents are included in the daily activity logs, located on the URI Police website .