La Voz

Issue date: 12/1/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Alejandro Jimenez A driver pilots an electric cart through a crosswalk on De Anza College campus.

Drivers in the dozens of small electrically powered carts that can be seen darting all around De Anza College often fail to yield the right-of-way to students and pedestrians walking around campus.

Electric carts at De Anza College are intended for travel, transport of people, and items around campus.

Organizations with access to the cars cars cars carts are the Foothill De Anza Community College District Police Department, the De Anza Campus Services departments and some student organizations.

The 50 carts currently residing on campus serve several purposes including patrolling campus, setting up events, and help moving large, heavy or bulky items.

The carts help campus police cover more ground and respond quickly to emergencies, while De Anza's custodians carry their cleaning supplies around campus and move trash.

Since there are no designated driveways for carts and most of campus lacks roads, the carts share De Anza's small sidewalks with pedestrians. If pedestrians do not let carts pass, the carts become essentially useless.

When the carts drive too fast and do not observe the pedestrian's right of way can become potentially dangerous. "You see students not giving the right of way, and sometimes the cart drivers don't either," said Cheryl Owiesny, faculty in Physical Education Department.

Cart operation is regulated through the FHDA police department; Certification is issued only after passing a test on vehicle operation and safety guidelines.

Cart drivers around campus are bound to the rules and safety guidelines taught in the online course, which include yielding right of way to pedestrians at all times, not entering a crosswalk until it is clear and keeping speed near that of a brisk walk (three to five miles per hour).

The safety committee monitors the safe usage of carts and any driving issues or complaints. Unauthorized joy riding in the carts is a frequent problem.

The locking mechanism of the cart can be easily tampered, and unless the cart is parked in a safe area, it is easy to steal.

Carts have been abandoned miles away from campus; police officers see De Anza College on the cart and contact the school to collect it. The carts often break down; in the last three months 12 cases of maintenance have been reported.

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