Pedestrian Safety for Joggers & Walkers

Pedestrian Safety for Joggers/Walkers

Summer time brings with it an increase in outdoor activities, such as jogging and walking. These activities require greater interaction with traffic, and participants must remember their obligation to traffic safety.

Joggers and walkers can improve their own safety by:

Using sidewalks rather than jogging/walking in the roadway
Where no sidewalk exists, pedestrians should walk on the extreme left side of the roadway facing approaching traffic. This allows the pedestrian to observe oncoming vehicles and take evasive action, if necessary, and not rely solely on the driver of the vehicle to identify potential hazards or conflict
If walking on a roadway, pedestrians should walk single file, especially when vehicles approach. Because other vehicles may be on the roadway, a driver may not feel able to move closer to the middle of the road to bypass them
Wear reflective vests or accessories at night
Cross at crosswalks
Do not step into the roadway from between vehicles
Do not step into the roadway to cross, even if within a crosswalk, if approaching vehicles are so close that a driver cannot safely yield
Pedestrians in a roadway not within a crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield the right of way to all vehicles on the roadway
Plan walking or jogging routes away from high-traffic or congested areas

Pedestrians who interact with vehicles on roadways have responsibilities for safety, as do motorists. Please make safety a part of your plan!