You’re too cool for bed rail?

Georgia Tech student who knows the danger says don’t fall for that.

When she sent her younger child off to college, Mariellen Jacobs had the same worries as any other parent.

Would her son, Clark, work hard in his classes and not party too much? Would he take care of himself and remember to call home once in a while? Would he be safe moving from suburban Cobb County to Georgia Tech’s downtown Atlanta campus?

Never once did she worry about him falling out of bed. But that’s exactly what happened in January 2015 in Clark’s room in the Kappa Sigma fraternity house. As he slept in his full-size loft bed — 7 feet off the ground — Clark fell to the hard floor, fracturing his skull. Within days, he underwent emergency brain surgery to save his life, and for several weeks, he was in a comalike state while recovering. And nearly 15 months later, Clark is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury that could have been prevented, if only there had been a rail in place on his bed.

While her son was learning how to talk, walk and eat again, Jacobs vowed to educate others about the dangers of loft beds. She started an awareness campaign called “Rail Against the Danger,” or RAD. In recent weeks, she has met with the University System of Georgia about her concerns about the safety of loft and bunk beds, both popular on college campuses.

“The safety of our students on campus is our top priority,” Sandra Neuse, USG associate vice chancellor, said in an emailed statement. “We are working with Ms. Jacobs and RAD to ensure our students have information about the risk of falls from lofted beds, and to provide safety rails for students who choose to use them. Student awareness is critical and we would like to thank Ms. Jacobs for her tireless efforts to raise awareness about this important safety measure.”

For Jacobs, it’s worth it to prevent others from injuries like Clark suffered.

“The bottom line is they should