Parades of pedestrians across major crosswalks downtown can only mean one thing — we're in a new school year.

Yes, it can be irritating as a driver in Iowa City to have to deal with the influx of students after a relatively serene summer. Yes, having to wait 30 extra seconds or so at an intersection can cause consternation. But — and we hope we can be forgiven for the pun — road safety is a two-way street. As drivers adapt to the new year, it's easy to be dismissive of the student body as a whole or an entire generation as being absorbed with their phones on the go, not paying attention to their surroundings. But distracted driving is a big problem too, and not one confined to any given age group.

Last year's numbers bear this out. Fatalities from distracted driving doubled in Iowa last year, and this year doesn't look to be an improvement. Keeping ourselves from being responsible for or the victim of one of these incidents should be our top priority as drivers, and personal responsibility must be exercised to make a dent in these numbers. Pedestrians should make a good faith effort to do the same of course, but the difference between distracted driving and distracted walking is in the multi-ton metal object one party is operating. Whether or not drivers believe it's fair, more often than not they will be blamed for any accident no matter the circumstances. If for no other reason, texting while driving should be avoided for the financial and legal consequences — not to mention the lifelong guilt accompanying any incident resulting in death or injury.

It might be time for a change in policy to speed this reduction along. For drivers ages 14 through 17, texting while driving is a primary offense according to state law. If a police officer sees it happening, the driver can be pulled over for that infraction alone. But for older drivers, it's a secondary offense — punishment for texting while driving can only be leveled when witness in the commission of a primary offense. With the ubiquity of cellphone use and the seeming need to respond to every piece of information on our devices immediately, it would be worthwhile to remove the age restriction. Bad habits can form in people of any age, and it's not as though turning 18 flips a switch in a person's mind, making them less likely to text and drive. As the statistics show, it's a universal problem.

Apps for smartphone operating systems, native and otherwise, have cropped up to make it easier for drivers to tune out distractions. Some automatically send a reply when a text is received, informing the recipient the user is driving and will contact them later. Others shut off all non-essential function until the user leaves their car. After several accidents and complaints to the developer, the wildly popular "Pokemon Go" game has included a warning to would-be mobile Pokemon masters: Only play if you're a passenger.

To restate what should be common sense, abide by the rules of the road and employ the utmost caution with pedestrians. A person walking in your path might be disobeying the law, but that isn't a license to run them down — and good luck explaining your actions in court.

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