Nighttime Safety Tips for Runners

How to increase your visibility when you run in the dark. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 70 percent of pedestrian deaths occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.



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Night Running 101: Turn Off the Tunes

Running and listening to music may help motivate you, but listening to music while running at night can be a dangerous 1-2 combo. Your ability to see and be seen is already reduced and reducing your sense of hearing can prove deadly. According to a study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, the amount of runners wearing headphones that were involved in accidents has increased 300% in the last six years alone. 70% of those accidents resulted in fatalities.

Night Running 101: Never Turn Your Back

One of the biggest mistakes made by after-hours runners is when they travel in the same direction as traffic. You always want to run against traffic so you can see a potential accident coming. You’ll have a much better chance of performing an evasive maneuver (running out of the way) this way.

A few weeks ago, a runner in Connecticut was killed when a 16 year girl struck him as he ran along a fairly busy road. He was run with traffic.

Nuff said!

 

Night Running 101

Light It Up

 

While this one may sound like common sense, most accidents involving runners occur at night when they are wearing dark clothing. Choosing a well lit route and wearing reflectors can help you be seen by motorists up to five times sooner. A light such as a headlamp or lighted vest are also good options that make you more visible without making you look like a Christmas tree.