Doesn't matter what time of day it is, what the weather conditions happen to be, or even what town I am running through on that particular day---people behind the wheel are clueless to my existance. Now I'm sure I'm not the only runner who has noticed this. There are lot's of folks out running---that's a lot of invisibility cloaks. Are we all transparent?
Here are my observations so far:
1. Drivers talk on their phones, while really concentrating hard on making a left or right-hand turn at a stop sign.
2. Just because drivers are at a stop sign does not mean they will stop. Rolling is a very popular form of stopping.
3. Drivers eat chocolate covered doughnuts while talking on their phones and attempting to navigate an intersection.
4. Drivers are really busy THINKING while stopped. Perhaps they are thinking about what they will do once they get to where they are going, or maybe they are thinking about what they just did at their last stop. I do get the impression however that they are not thinking that they are about the run over the pedestrian who is about to cross the street in front of their vehicle.
Runners, please take extra precautions when approaching and crossing at intersections---especially those rinky dinky small cross roads in little neighborhoods. That's where drivers live and the feel as if they know those roads the best! They are just not expecting you and you are not a part of their thought process.
Things you can do to be more visible:
1. Donning reflective arm, wrist or leg bands
2. Wear shirts in bright neon colors
3. Attach at blinky light before or after dark
4. Don't cross until you have gained the attention of the person behind the wheel (not the passenger) and exchanged a quick wave.
Stay safe!
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