Safety rules for runners

There are no real rules where and how to run in traffic, but I found an article on a Canadian legal-information website with police recommendations for running safety.

Number one rule is: Run on the sidewalk. You will always be the most vulnerable participant in traffic, so stay away from harm by staying on the sidewalk.

There are six exceptions to that rule where the street is better than the sidewalk:

• an organized road race,
• a quiet residential or country road,
• a road without sidewalks,
• a time of day when traffic is virtually nonexistent,
• sidewalks which are dangerous because of icy conditions,
• or to sidestep a sidewalk which presents a temporary hazard greater than running on the street - such as an aggressive animal or a construction site.

Whenever possible, run facing the traffic. Keep your eyes on the oncoming vehicle and if it doesn't seem to give you enough space, move to the side or stop. You can't challenge a vehicle.

When crossing the road, look three times - to traffic coming in direction closest to the curb, then the other side, then the first side again. That way you will spot small vehicles like bicycles or roller skaters which you could have missed first time.

If you're involved in a near accident, don't try to challenge the driver - remember the licence plate and the car make and report the incident to the police.

If you are followed by a car at low speed, run calmly into a public building. If the car lingers, call the police. In any case, remember the licence plate and report it to the police.
If there is no public buildings near by, run to a residence, as a last resort.

Warm up and stretch before run, to avoid injury. If you suffer an injury in the middle of nowhere, it represents a serious safety risk.
For the same reason tie your shoelaces in double knot, so they won't come undone and trip you.

Carry a cell phone with you, or enough money for a bus and a pay phone, in case you have to interrupt your run because of the injury or any other reason.

For running in the dark always wear clothing with reflective articles. Don't be ashamed to use blinkers - the blinking flashlights. You can find them in bicycle stores.

The rule I simply disobey is - don't run with an iPod, or another music player. The headphones prevent you from hearing the vehicle approaching.
Now, I know all that. To my defence - I don't listen to music, I listen to an audiobook, so it's almost like having a conversation with a running buddy. Also, I never wear a noise-cancelling headphones, which means that I can hear the noise of traffic, or growling and barking of dogs. Or, for example, you can listen to a podcast - like runcast. Just try to avoid those earphones that fit into your ear-canal and seal off the outside noise. They provide great sound quality, but you don't really need it while running. What you do need is to hear the sounds of your surrounding.

***
In these crazy times, women runners are, unfortunately, in additional danger of being attacked, especially if she runs alone. Here are a few tips to keep the female runners safer.

First of all, be familiar with the area where you run. It is very useful to know the possible escape routes.

Run in public, well-lit areas. Early morning is the time when the bad guys are sleeping or nursing a hangover from previous night, so it's the safest time of day for running.

Get some basic self-defence training. Even if you never use it, it'll make you feel safer and look tougher to a potential attacker.

You can also carry a self-defence spray, such as pepper-spray, or a personal alarm. The spray will not permanently disable the attacker, but will stop him and give you enough time to escape.

If you're carrying the spray, carry it so people can see it. The attacker is less likely to attack a woman who is ready to defend herself.

Never approach a car which stopped to ask for directions. The best is to ignore it altogether. If you feel like a good neighbour, give them directions from a few yards away, and it'll give you enough time to run if the doors open.

If someone grabs you, flee if you can. If not, then use the pepper spray. Women usually don't have the upper-body strength to fight off a male attacker, but a woman-runner has strong legs. Kick him or push him with your legs and scream. Make as much noise as possible, get everybody's attention.

If you're running through a rough neighbourhood, running with a dog could be a good idea to keep you safe.

And, again, if you wear headphones, make sure to turn down the volume so you can hear what's happening around you.