By Cendy Moliere, Personal Injury Help
If you are a runner, you understand the importance of being visible. When you are running around vehicles, you need to make sure you are noticed by drivers. After all, you aren’t as large as a vehicle, so drivers will have to do a double take for your image to register in their brain. Here are a few tips for staying visible while you are out running.
1. First, make sure you run where you will stand out and be noticed. Don’t run in traffic, because running around cars or with them is never safe. Instead, you should stay on the sidewalk, where permitted, or on the side of the road. You are getting yourself farther away from cars and decreasing the risks of being hit by a car.
2. Second, always follow all traffic regulations. Familiarize yourself with the traffic laws. Stop at intersections and stop at traffic lights. Don’t zip past stop signs. You should never dart through and around traffic. Watch where you are going and run in a predictable manner, so cars will avoid you.
3. Always run facing traffic and not with it. You cannot see cars approaching from behind you.
4. Stand out! Don’t wear traditional colors, such as brown, blues, greens, or black. Those will blend into the landscaping and your surroundings. You want to stand out and be noticed. This means you should deck out in bright colors, such as lime green, fluorescent yellow, hot pink, red, or orange. You are much more likely to get the attention of drivers when you are wearing bright colors. Safety vests, which are brightly colored and have reflectors, are great to wear as well.
5. If you are going to be out after dark, make sure you can be noticed. If you are out before dawn or after dusk, you need to have reflectors all over. This means you should get reflective tape out and use it on your shoes, your back, your chest, your arms, and your legs. You can run with a flashlight on and pointed down in front of you. These make you noticeable and will help encourage drivers to look out for you.
6. When you are out running and weather turns bad, it can be challenging for drivers to see you. This means you need to carry a flashlight that you can turn on and point down in front of you. A flashing LED light can be worn on the back and on the chest to help you get attention.
7. Run with a buddy. What is easier to see that one person? Two people. There are several benefits to having a running buddy. Two people decked out in bright, reflective gear are going to be noticed much more quickly than one person. By having a buddy along, you also have extra safety. If one of you were injured or became ill, you can get help for the buddy. Plus, one US study found that athletes that worked out with a partner, instead of alone, ran for a longer amount of time and their exercise was more intense and challenging!
Running is a great stress reliever, a great hobby and is a great way to work out. Take responsibility for your own safety when you go running, and make sure you are visible, so you are less likely to be hit by a vehicle. When you spend just a few minutes preparing and staying alert, you can protect yourself from a serious accident that could impact the rest of your life.
Don’t risk being hit by a car when out for a run. Be proactive and take your safety seriously. By knowing how to stay visible while running, you can make sure you enjoy several more years of running. Be proactive with your safety today.
This article was created Personal Injury Help (www.personalinjury-law.com), an organization dedicated to providing the public with information about personal injury and safety information. Nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice, and it is intended for informational use only.