Fairfield University’s campus has plenty of student drivers, but they do not always comply with the rules of the road. Watching students dodge cars and nervously sprint across the crosswalk is a wake-up call for students to be more alert drivers on campus and beyond. As a student who has to walk to McAuliffe Hall, the academic building near the entrance of North Benson Road, it can be scary to walk to class, making me realize that the campus driving situation depends on the students.
Fairfield student drivers not only take over the campus, but they are also prevalent in town. Recently, a TikTok of drivers blowing the three-way stop sign on the town’s most student-dense residential road, Reef Road, in front of Veterans Park went (somewhat) viral. The TikTok, with dash cam footage of a car parked at the stop sign, captioned, “Breaking News: Stop Signs in Fairfield are Now Optional.” The 15-second video with over 231,000 views and 15,000 likes was posted on March 4, and students in the comments were not pleased with the accusation by the video creator.
This is not only a problem on college campuses; reckless driving has taken over Connecticut as a state and has taken the lives of too many. A road sign, with data provided by the University of Connecticut, counts the fatalities that occurred on I-91 southbound between Hartford and New Haven. According to the UConn Connecticut Crash Data Repository, from Jan. 1, 2022, to Feb. 28, 2025, there have been 842 fatal injuries because of car accidents. This data should urge students and residents to be safer when driving around the Fairfield community.
Maeve Cronin, a first-year, said she “fears when [she] crosses the street to go to the food trucks,” because students do not always slow down when they see another student walking. She finds traveling across the street even to go to the gym can be a stressful task, which requires her to take off her headphones to make sure she is able to hear whenever a car is passing by. Stopping for a student should be the norm, but even slowing down would help students cross safely.
This fear of crossing the street does not just resonate with Cronin, as fellow first-year Emily Matos practices at the Rec Plex for club volleyball and has expressed her anxiety, saying “when walking to practice I have to be extra cautious because walking to the Rec Plex around 9 p.m. can be dangerous due to drivers being unable to see me.” Matos has practice twice a week and has had plenty of stories about late-night drivers giving her a scare when crossing the street.
I asked Giuliana Pettinato, a senior, about her opinion of her fellow drivers on and off campus. She was excited to talk about her view on the traffic control we have here, saying, “I think that students and faculty should abide by traffic rules posted for driving on campus.” She drives to class almost every day and has had her fair share of moments when drivers could have been more cautious. She continued, “For example, cars speed down the road and parking lot behind Canisius and Donnarumma, which is very dangerous for people trying to pull in and out of the parking spots.” I agree with her emphasis on the Canisius and Donnarumma parking lot, as I walk to Canisius often for class.
Ultimately, the issue of reckless driving on Fairfield’s campus and in town is a pressing concern that affects both pedestrians and drivers. Students, along with myself, see the anxiety that comes with crossing the street and recognize the need for greater caution. While lighthearted videos may bring attention to the problem, the reality is that unsafe driving can have serious consequences. Whether on campus or beyond, it is crucial for students to take responsibility for their driving habits, follow traffic laws, and remain aware of their surroundings to ensure a safer environment for everyone.
