'Yield to Heels' Campaign to Focus on Pedestrian Safety

Chapel Hill, N.C. — A plan to promote pedestrian safety kicked off in Chapel Hill on Wednesday.

The "Yield to Heels" campaign stationed volunteers at four crosswalks to distribute flyers and information. The goal is to remind walkers of their rules of the road.

Volunteers were scheduled for the Pit between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and for the following crosswalks between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.:

• South Road at the Bell Tower
• South Road by Student Rec
• South Columbia at Big Frat Court
• Manning Drive near the School of Dentistry and the Thurston Bowles Building

Pedestrians are being urged to stay on sidewalks, use crosswalks and pay better attention to street lights. Plus, they should be visible to the drivers on the road. Organizers will also encourage drivers to slow down in the area.

"As a part of the campaign, Yield to Heels also aims to clear up myths about traffic safety for both pedestrians and drivers," said David Harkey, director of the UNC Highway Safety Research Center.

In 2006, two pedestrians and a cyclist were killed in vehicle-related accidents in Chapel Hill.