Safety Tips for Runners (Part Two)

Welcome back to the Hastings & Hastings blog. Today, we are offering you part two in our series on safety tips for runners. While some of us would do practically everything in our power to avoid running, even accidently, for more than a step or two, there are many people out there who run for exercise, and occasionally even enjoyment. Strange as all the sounds, it is true. And while running is healthy for you, it does come with associated risks. Today, we are going to go over a few more safety tips for runners.

3. Direction Matters

If you are a city runner, your number one safety concern should be traffic. Cars are bigger than you, they move faster than you, and often, they will have difficulty seeing you. While pedestrians are legally given the right of way, that technicality won’t matter if a car never has the chance to see you. This may sound counter-intuitive, but when running along the road, you should run facing traffic. This will help you see oncoming traffic better, and, more importantly, give traffic a better view of you. Intersections are very dangerous for runners. Accidents commonly occur when cars perform right turns and don’t notice that there is a runner moving alongside them. This safety precaution helps lower the risk of this occurring.

4. Run During the Day

We have been emphasizing the importance of visibility, and there is no better way to ensure you are clearly visible than by running during the day. There are several benefits to running during the day. First, you will be more visible to traffic. Second, there is less risk of someone approaching you with ill intent. Finally, the odds of you hurting yourself by tripping or falling are lower during the day when the surface you are running on is clearly visible.