Advice 4Walkers
Moving is Basic | Walker Friendly Marathon | 7 Strategies | Be Seen! Be Safe!! | Companion Training
Be Seen! Be Safe!!
I guess I'm overly sensitive about walker safety because one of my walkers was killed while crossing the road on one of her training walks a few years back. So, please bear with me for my annual "Be seen, Keep safe" campaign.
In the stage version of "Man of La Mancha," Don Quixote's faithful servant, Sancho Ponza admonishes his master, " . . . it doesn't much matter whether the pot hits the rock or the rock hits the pot. Either way it's going to be bad for the pot!"
Likewise, it won't matter who's at fault, you or the driver of the vehicle, if you get hit. It's surely going to make a much bigger dent in you!
Think about this: Most of us are fitting our walking routine into the hours before and after work. For at least half of the year, that means we're walking in the dark. And, most of us don't report where we are going and when we will return to anyone — we just walk out the door. If something did happen, it could be hours before anyone figured out we were missing.
To keep your fitness goals on track, here are a few things to think about.
1. Wear identification. If anything were to happen to you on your walk, it's important for others to be able to swiftly come to your aid, especially if you are unable to speak for yourself. Wear a visible ID necklace or shoe tag that includes this basic information: your name, the name of an emergency contact person plus, that person's phone number with area code.
You might also consider including your blood type (if known), any medications you are taking and definitely any allergies your have. And, you could include additional information (i.e.: health record number).
If you carry your house key on the same chain as the ID tag, you might want to think twice about including your street address on your ID tag. If it's lost, that's an open invitation to a crook to go shopping at your house.
2. Be visible. Wear reflective clothing. You can find jackets made with materials that are luminescent when lit by car headlights. Search out reflective vests, flashing lights and reflective shoe patches at stores that sell apparel for walkers, runners or bicyclists. Think about putting some of that light on a part of your body that will be moving like, your arm, hands or shoe, so as to attract attention. While a reflective vest is helpful, it can also be mistaken for a mailbox reflector since it stays at the same height and seems to be stationary to a driver in dark or foggy conditions.
Shop at sports stores — running/walking stores and also bicycle shops. Consider perusing the internet. There are lots of sites with quite clever options for lighting you up and also some sites where you can purchase ID tags.
3. Think about lighting your path. More than one walker has had a serious knee injury from tripping over a raised section of a sidewalk. If you are walking on streets without street lights, consider carrying a flashlight or making a fashion statement by wearing a headlamp. I, for one, have landed on my face while strolling in the dark to enjoy holiday lights!
4. Look both ways before stepping out into the street — even on a one-way street. It only takes a split second of distraction on anyone's part for an accident to occur.
Be aware of your surroundings. Be seen; be safe!