Be Safe Out There

This past Thursday, I was out for my usual morning run when I had a run in with a car. I was running down a busy street facing the traffic as you are supposed to do to be safe. I was wearing my reflective vest and gloves. Plus, I am always at a heightened sense of awareness when it comes to running around my area because there are no sidewalks for the most part to run on. I need to be constantly looking ahead and to the sides to make sure I know where all the cars are at all times. But, even with this vigilance, I was almost struck less than ½ mile from my home.

As I approached the “T” intersection, I always look to my right because cars coming down that street are typically traveling too fast and tend to roll the stop sign. This particular morning, there was quite a bit of traffic heading towards me which I also needed to pay attention to. Well, this driver slows down and stops as I am approaching the intersection. As I watch him, he starts to inch forward. But, there was a rather large truck coming towards him and I figured there is no way he is going to chance it. I decided to keep running and believed he obviously saw me. I was wrong!

As I crossed the passenger side bumper, he started to go to try and beat the truck. I leaped out of the way just barely clearing the driver’s side bumper. The driver then noticed the truck as too close and slammed his brakes on almost sliding into the truck. The truck passed and he peeled out to go his merry way. I don’t think he ever saw me. It was the closest call I have had since moving here to New England.

You see in Southern California most residential areas have sidewalks. As a runner, this is really nice as it allows you more flexibility in choosing your runs and you don’t have to worry as much about the crazy drivers you may encounter. Here in New England (at least out where I live), it is the rare occasion that there are sidewalks to run on. Therefore, you are always taking a great chance of bodily harm when you run here. Especially in the winter when the roads are narrower due to snow build up on the sides of the road.

This made me think about my own safety precautions when I run. Was I really doing all the things I needed to do to remain safe from the drivers out there who obviously are multi-tasking and not paying attention to their surroundings? I decided to do a little research this week and found the following tips that seem to show up in any discussion about runner safety when running on the road.

Run against the flow of traffic. -- That's the left hand side of the road here in the United States. Running against traffic allows you to see what is coming toward you. Drivers do some really crazy and unpredictable things. Therefore, you have to assume that the driver doesn't see you. You need to protect yourself and err on the side of caution.

Run defensively. – A safe driver always drives defensively. So, as a runner you should do the same. Always yield the right of way at any intersection to the cars. As I found out, drivers don’t always obey traffic signals or signs. Therefore, you need to protect yourself first. Never expect a driver to change his path to avoid you. Don’t forget to take into account any weather or other conditions that affect a driver’s visibility such as glaring sun, rain, snow, or fog.

Beware of vehicles turning right. The most common near collisions occur when runners approach the right side of a vehicle that is turning right. This is due to the fact that a driver is always looking left for oncoming traffic to ensure they can safely turn onto the road. Most driver’s never look to the right as they pull out into traffic after see if it is safe to make the turn. If you cannot make eye contact with the driver, it is best to stop running and wait for them to turn.

Watch out for the second vehicle. When you are running along the side of a road (facing on-coming traffic) and you see a line of cars approaching, you need to be aware of the fact that the first car in the line blocks the view of any car following behind. Most of the other close calls I have had were in this situation. The cars following the first car probably don’t see you and when they finally do, it is sometimes too late to avoid colliding with you. Always have an escape plan should a car not be able to avoid you. Know your surroundings and make sure you can get off the side of the road onto a shoulder or into a ditch if you feel you are in danger.

Be visible and alert at all times. Since most of us run alone and sometimes in the dark, we need to use our eyes and ears to be aware of our surroundings. Most people recommend not running with earphones. I do run with my IPOD. But, my earphones don’t cover my ear. I can still hear all of the ambient noise around me. Always wear reflective clothing at dawn, dusk or night time and bright visible clothing any other time. Look for running shirts, shorts and tights that have reflective stripes or simply wear bright colors (i.e. white, yellow, orange, etc.). You can buy inexpensive, highly effective traffic vests to help increase your visibility. They may not look cool. But, they will keep you safe. Sometimes in the winter, I have worn my camping headlamp. Friends of mine and runners in the Reach the Beach Relay wear flashing lights attached to their vest. These are very practical on dark winter nights.

As I looked back over the list of safety precautions, I realized that I am diligent in following these safety rules. But, I still was almost struck by a car. So, if you are not doing any of these things or only a few, you are at risk for injury or worse. If you are like me, you cannot imagine not being able to run. Why take the chance of losing this very important part of your life? Take care out there and run safe.

Here are my training totals:
Oct. 18 – 10.00 miles (1:24:21, 8:26 pace)
Oct. 19 – 6.10 miles (51:45, 8:29 pace)
Oct. 20 – 3.10 miles (23:25, 7:32 pace) – Speedwork
Oct. 22 – 6.00 miles (49:39, 8:08 pace) – Tempo run
Oct. 24 – 10.00 miles (1:26:35, 8:39 pace)

Total Miles: 35.20 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,654.15 miles