A discussion by the Austin City Council should serve as a reminder of the need for caution when we’re out on the roads.

Council members discussed whether stop signs or flashing beacon lights were the best way to improve safety at the 16th Avenue and Eighth Street Northeast crosswalks near The Hormel Institute, where one pedestrian was brushed by a car and other close calls have been reported.

Solid arguments can be made on both sides of the discussion, but the city council likely made the right — though difficult — decision by going with flashing beacons. Stop signs, as Public Works Director Steven Lang noted, would stop all of the 2,300 cars on the road each day whether pedestrians are present or not. If the beacons aren’t enough, stop signs can always be added later.

But that doesn’t negate the need for safety. It takes only one bad incident to make this look like a bad decision.

Especially in winter when it turns dark early and roads are slick, drivers need to always be aware of crosswalks and pedestrians around town. The curve of 16th Avenue into Eighth Street is a good reminder of how easily pedestrians can be obscured around corners or by your car frame.

We all have a role to play when it comes to safety.