Safety

See the story here: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0310/713930.html

A lone runner on the road at 3 a.m., crossing an intersection against the traffic light, and wearing headphones.  In fact, her friends say that she always wore headphones and frequently ran at this time of night.  The news articles do not indicate whether she wore a flashing vest, but the semi truck did not even know he had hit her, so she was likely not wearing highly visible clothing.  Please runners, you must take care of yourselves - drivers will not see you.  You need to be vigilant in your ability to see and hear what is happening, when you share the road with vehicles.

In the spring 2010 edition of the ORRRC newsletter, look for a full article on crimes against runners.  This links to a current article for a missing 17 year old San Diego runner who went missing during her trail run last week:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/28/massive-effort-made-to-find-girl/

And a follow up article about an arrest:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/chelsea-king-disappearance-suspect-linked-cases/story?id=9975272

Note that the assailant chooses women running alone to attack.  Stay safe out there!

In case you needed another reminder, here is a news article about a runner in New York who was struck by a vehicle and injured.  And yes, unfortunately, he was running with his back to traffic and wearing an Ipod.

http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_047002129.html

Don't let this happen to you!  Always run facing traffic.  And please leave the headphones and earbuds at home!

As the ORRRC Safety Coordinator, I'm always on the lookout for information or news about running safety.  Recently, I came across these three articles.

A runner struck and killed by a drunk driver in Massachusetts.  A reminder for us that running on the roads can be dangerous.  This article does not address whether or not the victim was facing traffic.  If not, then he probably never even saw it coming.  Please, when running on the roads, always face oncoming traffic and stay alert! If possible, avoid areas of heavy traffic.

A woman attacked and dragged at knifepoint in California.  Fortunately, she managed to escape unharmed.  But this happened at 9:45 in the morning!!  The article does not address whether or not she was wearing headphones or earbuds.  If so, then she probably never even saw it coming.  Please, when running alone, leave the music at home and stay alert! And if you encounter creepy freaks along your route, change directions and avoid them.  Don't worry about hurting their feelings; your personal safety is more important than a stranger's emotional well-being.

An excellent Runner's World article about how to avoid collisions with vehicles.  With some specific tips and guidelines for you to follow.

Remember, it's a jungle out there.  Stay safe!