Many Kent State accidents happen in parking lots

Mackenzie Blanton

Speeding recklessly through parking lots on campus to get to class on time is not unfamiliar to most Kent State students.

The fear of being late to class is one of the main reasons there are accidents on campus, according to Kent State Police Officer Michquel Penn. When students are in a hurry to get to class and find a parking spot, Penn said, they don’t take other drivers into consideration.

“Even if you are alert and paying attention to other vehicles, watch out for other vehicles that aren’t paying attention to you,” Penn said.

Since January 2012, there have been 198 accidents in parking lots across campus and six of them had reported injuries.

Fourteen accidents have occurred in the science lots since January 2012. There have also been 13 accidents in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center lot and 12 accidents in the Kent Student Center pay lot.

“Students think since parking lots aren’t roads, there are no rules,” said Matthew Woods, junior aeronautics major. “It’s like the Wild West of automobiles.”

Contact Mackenzie Blanton at [email protected].