Walk or Run Safely To Prolong Your Life, Not Shorten It

Running and walking are popular ways to get some exercise, stay fit, and to lose weight. Having been an avid runner I'm hyper-aware of staying safe where pedestrians and motor vehicles or bicycles intersect.  That's why a recent local incident was so hard to read.

A runner on a rural road was found some hours after a hit and run accident.  Still alive, he suffered life threatening injuries.  As I read the report I was immediately upset that the driver didn't stop; that they didn't try to make an anonymous call to emergency services; and then with the injured runner.

You see, the runner was clipped by the passenger side view mirror which means he was running WITH traffic instead of AGAINST traffic.  Because the police recovered the mirror itself they determined it was from a GMC truck or large SUV.  

Here are a few tips for everyone on foot, running or walking:

·         Use sidewalks or hike/bike paths whenever possible

·         Always face the traffic and stay as far left as possible

·         Wear lighter colored or reflective clothing and even carry a headlamp or flashlight if it's dark

City settings have other guidelines, too:

·         Cross streets at corners

·         Stop at the edge of a parked car and if traffic is present, make eye contact with the driver before you step into the roadway

·         Obey traffic signals, again making eye contact with drivers is a good idea before stepping into the street

·         NEVER let young children (10 and younger) cross alone

·         Older adults may need to allow more time to cross a busy street, too

When a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, the pedestrians are killed or injured in over 80% of those incidents.  Go out and get your exercise, but please take a few precautions to stay safe.

image courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net

How Do You Legislate Common Sense?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) thinks it’s by banning all cell phone use while driving.


It actually recommends banning the use of all hand held electronic devices, even if they’re ‘hands free’. So answering a call while wearing your Bluetooth headset would be illegal. Interestingly, they exempted GPS devices, most of which are not integrated into the car dashboard, because they are “designed to support the driving task.” Hmm. So a navigation app on my cell phone would probably be illegal, but maybe not. I guess that will depend on the interpretation of the officer that pulls you over.

None of us would reasonably argue with their premise that, “no call, no text, no update is worth a human life.” But there are many distractions available to drivers, from fiddling with a sound system, to drinking a cup of coffee or eating while driving, to even arguing with a passenger (usually a family member). How about the folks that are smoking and driving? While using a standard transmission?

I personally will answer a call with my Bluetooth, but the only way I initiate a call is by using the voice controls, which means you have to be in my address book. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made a caller wait for a time (seconds to minutes) until I could pull over and safely have a more in-depth conversation or to write something down.

I think those of us that are on the road a lot, whether you call yourself a ‘road warrior’ or not, are more in tune with safe driving practices. Michigan already has a ban on texting and driving (July 2010) which I think is reasonable and a good thing. But don’t tell me I can’t use my hands-free device to answer calls. If I think conditions are too bad for that, I will let the call go to voice mail. But then, I consider myself a reasonable person.

Regardless of your opinion, contact your legislator and let him or her know how you feel about it. You can use this service to find your Michigan State Representative if you don’t already know who they are.

The entire NTSB Meeting summary on this topic is here.