The district has just announced that starting in the 2021-2022 school year, BGHS will be the first school to try out the Clear and Responsible Automotive Student Hallway system. So far, there have been a total of 30 injuries this past school year, ranging from binder scratches to outright backpack burns, caused by friction when walking in the hall. 

“It gets pretty bad. Sometimes I’m scared to walk through the halls to get to my next class,” junior Ralph Elldown said. “I just never know if I’m going to be the next one wheeled to the nurse’s office in a chair.”

The CRASH system was established in response to the overwhelming number of injuries faced by the student body. The school will issue every student a go-kart, which will be able to reach speeds of up to five miles per hour. Additionally, the school will set up traffic lights at intersections of every corridor. 

“It’s outrageous to think walking would be so injury-inducing,” dean of hallway safety Rusch Aouer said. “I look at traffic patterns on the street and think, ‘that’s a great system!’ Why not implement probably the safest form of transportation to the hallways of BG?” 

The “Bison Karts” will be padded and require a buckled seat belt to run. They will be fully electric, and will be equipped with a horn that plays the tune of the BG Fight Song. Seniors with a GPA above 2.8 will get engines that can reach speeds of eight miles per hour, as well as their own senior express lanes to travel in. 

The library, main halls and loft will be recommissioned into parking lots for students to park in during class. Additionally, ramps will be built to the upper levels alongside the walls of the main hallways for upstairs access. 

“I think it’s a great idea,” sophomore Allie Way said. “It can give underclassmen practice for driving on real streets later in life.” 

Passing periods will also be 10 minutes long to address the time needed to get to class now. So far, there has been little opposition to this initiative. Most teachers and students agree it will be a far easier way to get to class, which allows for more productivity and will decrease the number of students missing class due to injuries. 

“There’s simply not a single thing I can see wrong with this idea,” Aouer said. “If anything, it should decrease the number of accidents seen in the hallway today. I’m looking forward to this very much needed change.”