Runners are strange creatures. They often disregard basics pertaining pedestrian road safety.
Pedestrian road safety entails, among others:
- Make use of the side-walk/pavement, if not feasible run/walk facing oncoming traffic, as far as possible to the right-hand side (in South Africa) of the road. Some go as far as suggesting making eye-contact with drivers of vehicles.
- When wanting to cross the road, pick a straight section, which is not obscured by stationary vehicles, bends, bushes, slopes, rises, etc. Preferably cross at marked crossings, and keep between the crossing lines. Do not cross if the light is red or amber.
- Stop before crossing the road, check right, left and right for oncoming traffic, and only cross when clear in both directions
- Walk briskly when crossing, do not run, while listening and on the look-out, especially for turning vehicles. ‘See and be seen’. Cross straight across, do not jay-walk/run.
Runners often cross some distance before, and then diagonally across, running some distance with their backs to oncoming traffic. During road races marshals often regulate the route and encourage runners to keep within the demarcated running pathway, allow traffic to pass. During time trials runners sometimes act like unruly hooligans.
The markings (left below) of our running club’s newly marked time trial route intrigued me, in that some appear to suggest to cross diagonally, some distance before a turn in the route, with some runners even making double diagonal (2nd or right below) crossings.
I am far from perfect, but generally exercise good safety. However, I’ve encountered a few too-close-for-comfort encounters with vehicles
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