Sep
22

Running Safely in the Predawn Traffic

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Photo credit: The Bridge by Flickr user mattieb, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license.

I am obviously an advocate of predawn running, and there are many reasons to choose the predawn to fit your running in.  However, there is at least one major drawback to the predawn run (if you don’t consider getting up early a drawback – which I don’t), and that is the fact that, well, it is dark.  This means you must consider carefully your own safety while you run and, while generally traffic is much lighter this time of day, this means you need to make sure you are visible to motorists.

I had hoped this fact would be obvious to anyone running either predawn or postdusk.  However, my own experience yesterday in an early morning commute, where I nearly hit a runner dressed only in dark clothes on a too-narrow road, makes me believe that perhaps this point is not obvious to all runners.  I also admit to being a bit sloppy or lazy myself at times, and this incident has reminded me that I can’t afford to allow that to continue.  It only takes a moment to change a lifetime.
With that in mind, here are a few simple tips for keeping yourself safe when running in the predawn.  Note that these tips apply even if you are running on lit streets.  Many studies have shown that the yellow light from typical high-pressure sodium street lights does not provide good peripheral vision for drivers (I know this as I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching this topic for a recent consulting project), so don’t count on street lights to save you.

Wear reflective clothing – Preferably, this should include an item with reflective strips like this basic running vest; it is important to consider your visibility from all directions.  Some models offer LED lights to enhance visibility, but I find the basic vest generally sufficient. Some apparel claims to have built-in reflective strips, but these will often be less effective (and less flexible) than a vest, which can be worn in any conditions.  If you don’t have a vest, you should at least wear white clothes.  It is a less effective solution but better, obviously, than wearing dark colors.

Consider a headlamp – I’ll admit that I don’t own a headlamp yet, but it is on my shopping list.  They provide the added benefit of making your path more visible, which is important for rougher roads or trail running.  The Black Diamond Equipment Sprinter comes highly recommended as being comfortable, bright, and possessing a good battery life (plus the red strobe light adds to visibility from behind).

Shift sides of the road – Assuming you don’t have the luxury of sidewalks (or, like me, you hate running on cement), you can be smart about which side of the road you use.  While I almost always try to run on the left side of the road (against traffic), I tend to shift to the other side when I am aware both that there is an oncoming vehicle on my side of the road and no vehicle coming the other way behind.  I then shift back to the other side after the threat has passed.  On occasion, I will run on the right side of the road when I know that traffic patterns favor oncoming traffic (due to work commute patterns, for example), though I’ll tend to keep looking over my shoulder.

Leave the iPod at home – This is not a big issue for me as I seldom use it anyway, but you need to be able to hear oncoming traffic, especially from behind or the side at intersections.  You may think turning the music down helps, but even at low volumes your hearing is impaired.  If you must run with an iPod, at least consider listening to podcasts or something similar, which doesn’t have the same constant output that music does.

These tips, combined with keeping on the alert as you run, and always carrying an ID with you (like those available from Road ID) will significantly improve your safety in the predawn.  Note that this doesn’t address tips regarding personal safety, which can lead to thinking more about running with others, etc.  Does anyone have any other good practices to recommend to stay safe while running in the dark?

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Posted in Fitting It In
10 Comments Posted by Greg

  • Matt F.

    Good post, Greg. Great reminders for predawn running. I do wear a reflective vest and don’t use an ipod (enjoy the silence and sounds of outdoors and it’s a good time to think). I carry a small LED flashlight that I use when there is oncoming traffic. Although the areas I run are a bit rural and not well lit, my eyes tend to adjust to the dark. I do use the light occasionally if it is really dark. The one thing I don’t do, hadn’t thought of doing it, is switch sides of the road. I don’t get excited about having to look over my shoulder to see if something is coming up behind me. On the other hand, I would be farther away from oncoming traffic. There is one road I’m on for 1/2 to 1 mile that has heavier traffic. The others tend to have little to none. There is space to get off the road, but I worry about stepping in a hole or something should I need to quickly move away from the edge of the road in to the ditch. I will think more and maybe try crossing to the other side. Some cars seem to be respective and slow down and get over (if no oncoming traffic for them). Others are probably half asleep and not paying attention. Thanks again for the tips.

  • Morning running

    I wear a vest but sometimes feel it is not enough…I recently added a red led blinking light to my morning attire and attached it to my vest. I try to run on roads that I know have light traffic and i usually head out in the direction that will have the most traffic (ie. the way that people are usually heading to go to work) so that when I return home I wont be having any traffic. Its tough and its going to get tougher once the snow comes but it really is a day to day thing and we need to stay alert and try our best to make sure that drivers see us.

  • http://gregstrosaker.com Greg Strosaker

    Thanks for your comment Matt. I just hate carrying anything so don’t envision doing the flashlight. Most of the roads I run are reasonably well lit (and well-maintained – in fact, many of them are relatively new) so seeing the road has not (yet) been a huge concern. I hate stepping off the road too, especially in winter. And as you mention, there is a wide range of drivers out there in the morning – it may be charitable to consider some of them “half asleep” versus just plain inconsiderate. Like you, I do have the occasional longer stretches on busier roads, but I am fortunate that the busiest one around has a bike lane to run in (in fact, I hardly ever see bikes on it, regardless the time of day).

  • http://gregstrosaker.com Greg Strosaker

    I agree with you that a vest can be marginal, active illumination is certainly a better step. Like you, I do also try to plan my routes when possible such that I go against the heavy traffic early and with it later in the morning when things get busier, following the whole “run on the side of the street against the traffic” policy. And snow does make things more challenging, it takes away numerous asphalt and cement paths and sidewalks around our area as even a bail-out option in many cases – sometimes you just have to stop and step aside. Thanks for your comments!

  • Matt F.

    I don’t particularly like carrying the flashlight, but do it out of safety (and for my wife’s benefit. She is more worried about me getting hit than I think I am). I’m not sure if I’d like running with a headlamp or not. My kids have them to read in their beds at night. I should borrow one and see how it feels. RoadID makes little lights they call firefly lights. Their claim is they are light weight and can be seen for up to a mile away. I’ve thought about trying them out. I could clip one on my vest and turn it off and on if it’s easy enough to do so.

    I just remembered last spring a truck slowed down beside me one morning and the driver told me that with my vest I was very visible. That was good to hear, as I didn’t have any idea how visible I was.

  • http://gregstrosaker.com Greg Strosaker

    Understood about the wife, mine is also more worried about my safety than I
    am. I’ll have to check out the RoadID lights as well. Great that you got
    feedback from a driver – had to be a good confidence boost.

  • http://www.loveliverun.com Vera

    As a woman, even though I live in a relatively nice suburban area, the thought of someone grabbing me is one I can’t get over. My brother-in-law learned the hard way about the importance of the headlamp when he twisted his ankle on a pine cone (or something similar) and had to be picked up by car. :-(

  • http://gregstrosaker.com Greg Strosaker

    Vera, I can appreciate the concern and other than running with a partner, there’s really not much I can recommend about that. I was downright nervous this morning that it would be the one day that, in spite of the bright moonlight, I managed to twist my ankle on something as well. Fortunately, it didn’t happen. Thanks for your comment!

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