Dunedin police are reminding pedestrians of their responsibilities after a complaint about motorists having to "dodge" wayward pedestrians on a section of road that includes two controlled crossings near Otago University's central Dunedin campus.
Senior Sergeant Mel Aitken said police would be paying extra attention to the stretch of Cumberland St between St David St and Albany St.
She said the man contacted police worried about the number of people who "blatantly" ignored controlled crossings, which he said was causing people driving south to have to "dodge wayward students".
Snr Sgt Aitken said she thought the man probably had a valid point.
"And I suspect the lights were installed there for the sole purpose of trying to control when students do cross, however he said it has made no difference and they ignore the crossing anyway," Snr Sgt Aitken said.
She did not have any figures on the number of crashes involving pedestrians on the stretch, but said the risk there would be higher because of pedestrian behaviour.
Otago Daily Times staff spent 10 minutes watching people cross Cumberland St at its intersection with St David St, where there is a controlled crossing, between 12.55pm and 1.05pm yesterday and counted 17 people crossing the street while the traffic lights were green.
Snr Sgt Aitken said the complainant did not feel phasing changes that extended the crossing light's green "cross now" cycle would make a difference as people took no notice.
She had asked campus police to remind students of the dangers, and said the complaint served as a general reminder to users of the campus of the risks to motorists and to themselves of not obeying traffic signals.
With the winter sun being lower, drivers' vision might be affected by glare, she said.
