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14 Tips to Help Improve Your Safety While Running Outdoors When It Is Dark
We are firm believers in our safety motto ‘Be Smart, Be Seen, Be Safe’ when running in low light conditions or in the evening when it is dark.
The 14 tips and suggestions presented below will hopefully help you tick all three of these boxes when running at night.
No matter if it’s a driver’s license in your pocket or an ID bracelet/tag with emergency contact information on it, make sure you always have ID along with you while you are out running as it will prove useful if first responders need to identify you and get in touch with family and friends.
Bringing your phone when running in the dark is a very important part of assisting you to remain safe. In the event of anything happening while you are out running you would be able to contact family or friends to alert them that you need assistance. It is essential that you are able to contact the police immediately if anything happens to you or you notice something out of the ordinary, so carrying your cellphone while running at night is extremely important.
You should always leave a note at home with the route you will be taking but as a further safety measure you should think of utilising one of a number free phone tracker applications such as:
• Glypmse, that enables your family and friends to track your location on the run.
• bSafe App which with a push of a button on your phone sends an emergency message or calls designated friends who are able to take action and even locate you on a map.
• Road ID app that enables emergency contact information to be shown on a smartphone even when it’s locked. It also has an extra feature called eCrumb that monitors a runner via GPS, allowing friends and family to follow you during a workout.
Luckily, lots of people tend to run with their phones, however if you’re the type who wants to stay off the grid while running, perhaps it’s advisable to reconsider, at least for night running
While running at nighttime, it is best to make use of all your senses, not just your vision. In the dark your sense of sight is actually adversely affected, which means you want to use your sense of hearing as much as you can to enable you to remain alert for the duration of your night time runs and headphones can sidetrack you.
Make sure you therefore withstand the temptation of wearing earphones to enjoy your music on the cellphone while running outdoors. Blocking off your sense of hearing leaves you at a disadvantage. You are unable to listen to oncoming motor vehicles, cyclists yelling at you to move, dogs barking, or almost every other possible threat.
However, If you cant resist the need to tune in to your music then make sure you only use just one earbud and keep the sound level at a minimum so that the second ear can still hear what’s taking place around you e.g. oncoming motor vehicles, trains and even people.
As outlined by research from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, accidents concerning pedestrians wearing earbuds who were subsequently struck by motor vehicles and trains have grown threefold in the last six years. The most terrible part is that in 70 percent of those occurrences, the runner or pedestrian was killed.
Night running is often about feeling primal, to be one with nature, and listening to your body’s movements. Make the most out of your experience by keeping aware, vigilant, and calm.
It’s often easy to become startled and disoriented while running at night. Certain areas may seem recognizable and then completely alien a few minutes later. Limit yourself to the route(s) you’ve ran a million times to the level where you’ve memorized just about every tree, corner and property along it.
Nevertheless, don’t run the same way every night either. This may create a routine for undesirable individuals to track you. As an alternative establish the routes you’re secure running and mix it up every second night to keep your running pattern as random as possible. However, if you are contemplating running a new route you would be wise to consider running this new route during the daytime first, monitoring visual markers that you are able to distinguish in the dark. Another option is to run the route with someone who is familiar with it and that way you will get to benefit from their experience of the route.
Preferably you should never run by yourself particularly at nighttime. Women need to especially refrain from running by themselves after dark in badly illuminated areas. If, however you choose to run alone, make certain to let someone know the route you’ll be taking, roughly how it will take you to finish your route and what time you anticipate to be back.
If you like to run at nighttime because that’s the ideal time that you can run, then try to buddy up with a friend who will also help keep you motivated and will also supply an extra set of eyes and ears for anything strange or unexpected. Alternatively, look for running groups that run at night if that’s the best time for you to run as there’s definitely strength and safety in numbers. Running with another person drastically cuts down the chance of anyone accosting you.
Always pay attention to what’s surrounding you regardless of how many safety measures you take to keep yourself protected. If something does not appear right or perhaps you feel that you’re getting into a dangerous situation, trust your intuition and move away from the possible danger swiftly and to a less risky location. It’s always advisable to be a little over cautious rather than seriously hurt or killed. Finally, you should always call the police should you become aware of anything suspicious.
Whether or not you happen to be running on a path or in a park with no automobiles, always bear in mind other pedestrians, joggers and cyclists. Before you decide to stop or turn around, make sure your path is clear. This recommendation is applicable to running in both daytime and darkness.
Don’t be afraid to play the “bad weather card” in severe climate conditions and go to the health club and just run on the treadmill. In these circumstances you should get in a better quality training session and be back on the roads safely again when the weather passes.
It may possibly not be your favorite route to run, but the most well-lit route is often your least risky option. Oncoming motor vehicles notice you better, and you’ll always be able to see the road and avoid likely hazards. Re-evaluate your route in the event that you’re used to running on trails. Despite the fact that it can be nice and peaceful when running on trails, you set yourself up as a convenient target for someone to attack or accost you. Stay with busier roads and well lit areas. It may be a bit uninspiring, but at least you’re safer.
You should always try to be visible, particularly if you are running where there is vehicular traffic. Being visible is also important while running trails at nighttime as many mountain bikers enjoy the trails at night too. The good news is that virtually all running gear nowadays include reflective patches. You should ensure yours does. If not, give some serious thought to acquiring and running in a reflective vest.
It’s essential to keep in mind that even though you can see a car at a distance that this may not mean the motorist can easily see you. It can often be challenging for drivers to notice runners at nighttime, so don’t make it more difficult for them by wearing dark, non-reflective garments. Make sure to wear vivid colors, preferably with reflective fabric or tape to help you become much more noticeable whenever you run.
Being visible is the first step to running at nighttime safely. Wear bright colored, high-visibility apparel with 360 degrees of retroreflective properties. These types of apparel reflect light back to its origin (motor vehicle headlights) with very little scattering, permitting you to be observed more visibly and a greater distances in dark or lowlight situations.
When you have to run on the road then the appropriate place to run is on the left side of the road, looking toward traffic. By facing oncoming traffic as you run, not only does this provide motorists with a clear view of what’s ahead of them, but also gives you a clearer view of oncoming automobiles and their headlights in case you need to make any last-minute maneuvers. If you find vehicle headlights blinding, then consider wearing a cap or visor.
Ideally it is best to try and stay away from busy roads specifically during rush hour times as the less cars you have to cope with the better. Roads with no shoulders or sidewalks are also to be avoided wherever possible. Nevertheless if you choose to run on these roads it can be a lot easier to evade and jump out of the way of motor vehicles when you observe them heading towards you.
Not only can it be difficult for drivers to notice you at nighttime, but it is also often challenging for you to see the road, trail or sidewalk while running especially when the lighting is poor.
There are numerous small lights that are easy to wear or hold that will help light up your path while running which will also help drivers be more able to notice you. No matter if you favor a headlamp, a chest light, or a handheld flashlight, carry something along with you on your run to illuminate your way.
Headlamps can be a good and effective solution because the beam follows wherever you look. However, some people dislike running with headlamps because of the shadows they can produce. If this is the case for you then consider using a light source at waist level.
Some runners also raise concerns that the shadows resulting from flashlights and headlamps may throw off your depth perception, causing some individuals to trip and stumble. To help avoid this you should practice lifting your feet with every step until it comes naturally.
By considering and adopting some or all of the above
BE SMART and BE SEEN tips you will be able to BE SAFE
whilst out running in low light conditions or when it is dark.