THE ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA TIPS FOR RUNNING
SAFETY
1.DON'T WEAR HEADSETS. Use your ears to be aware of your
surroundings. Using headphones, you lose the use of an important sense: your hearing.
2.Always stay alert and aware
of what's going on around you. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.
3.Carry a cell phone or change
for a phone call.
Know the locations
of call boxes and telephones along your regular route.
4.Trust your intuition about a
person or an area.
React on your intuition and avoid a person or situation if you're unsure. If
something tells you a situation is not "right", it isn't.
5.Alter or vary your running
route pattern. Run in familiar areas if possible. In
unfamiliar areas, such as while traveling, contact a local RRCA club or running
store. Know where open businesses or stores are located.
6.Run with a partner. Run with a dog.
7.Write down or leave word of
the direction of your run. Tell
friends and family of your favorite running routes.
8.Avoid unpopulated areas,
deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid unlit areas, especially at night. Run clear
of parked cars or bushes.
9.Carry identification or
write your name, phone number, and blood type on the inside sole
of your running shoe. Include any
medical information. Don't wear jewelry.
10.Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging
strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
11.Run against traffic so you
can observe approaching automobiles.
12.Wear reflective material if
you must run before dawn or after dark.
13.Practice memorizing license
tags or identifying characteristics of strangers.
14.Carry a noisemaker and/or OC
(pepper) spray. Get
training in self-defense and the use of pepper spray.
15.CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY if something happens to you or
someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary. It is important to report incidents
immediately.