RANT: Seriously, how hard is it to run on the correct side of the road.

seriously, what a pedestrian point of view.

running on the left side of the road == guaranteed injury

running on either/both sides of the road == possible injury

Well, runners are pedestrians, are they not?

Explain why running on the left side guarantees injury.

Lee Blackmer - died in 1979 - hit by truck coming on him from behind. ALWAYS run on left side of road. You can then see the traffic coming at you.

Always? Even in other countries?

Common sense would tell you to run facing traffic. I want to see what's coming. You can't react to something you can't see.

Candidates for the Darwin Awards...

The only guaranteed defense is to run indoors on a treadmill for all easy (the majority) and hilly runs. You reduce the risk of injury by running primarily on a soft, even, controlled surface and are not exposed to all the chaos that is our modern automobile-laden environment. Also, you can catch up on all the TV you want!

For speed work you obviously go to a track.

Boom goes the dynamite.

Concerned Citizen wrote:

Seriously, how hard is it to run on the correct side of the road. i came upon a group of 3 runners this morning running on the wrong side of the road. I told them as much and they said they knew. Really? It is not a suggestion to run on the correct side of the road, it could save your life. I told them i had been hit by a car doing what they were doing and the police man told me it was against the law. Nothing.

We have to be smart out there people. Run with your left foot against the curb!!

Seems kinda weird that other people being un-safe would bother you so much.

What DOES annoy me are runners (and other pedestrians) who run on or over the white line (often because they're running/walking with others, abreast). Aside from being rude (the main thing), and yes, stupid, it also gives runners a bad name.

left or dead wrote:

Lee Blackmer - died in 1979 - hit by truck coming on him from behind. ALWAYS run on left side of road. You can then see the traffic coming at you.

Yeah, but traffic can't see you as you approach one of those 165 intersections you have to negotiate on the normal 5 mile run. You are definitely approaching a driver's blind spot.

Consider the following:

1. Flow of traffic

2. Driver expectation

3. What side of road do cyclists ride on?

4. Your ear buds just destroyed whatever little reaction time you would have.

5. Assuming that vehicles veer off road as a frequent occurrence.

6. Analyzing driver habits.

If there are sidewalks it is safer to run on the RIGHT side of the road.

What about in England??

Blah Blah. wrote:

If there are sidewalks it is safer to run on the RIGHT side of the road.

One of the routes my running group takes goes down a fairly busy road with lots of big trucks. Virtually no shoulder on the left in one section. So if you run with traffic you're literally running with/in the traffic.

There is a sidewalk on right side of the road, and we tend to use it, except when this one guy shows up who is absolutely adamant that we run against traffic, always. He screams and yells if we run on the sidewalk side, and is so animated and verbal about it that usually after a few minutes we give in (well those of us who debate; many just roll over and do whatever).

I think this is complete BS and that common sense says that rules are not meant to be set in stone. What say you, OP?

this.... wrote:

Virtually no shoulder on the left in one section. So if you run with traffic you're literally running with/in the traffic.

Er, sorry. I meant if you run AGAINST traffic you're running in the traffic, or at least about 2 feet away from it.

messi wrote:

left or dead wrote:

Lee Blackmer - died in 1979 - hit by truck coming on him from behind. ALWAYS run on left side of road. You can then see the traffic coming at you.

Yeah, but traffic can't see you as you approach one of those 165 intersections you have to negotiate on the normal 5 mile run. .

I know, we see this type of thread once a month, and every time the morons say: ONLY/ALWAYS run on the left side of the run/against traffic. And EVERY time I reply:

if you are on a course that has the following factors:

1) wide shoulder/breakdown/parking area where there is no traffic (i.e., it is unlikely a driver will hit you from behind)

2) you are crossing a lot of intersections

3) and/or can run some of your run on the sidewalk

It's CERTAINLY better to run WITH traffic not against, because if you do not, every damn time you cross an intersection, drivers entering your road will be looking the opposite direction from where you are coming, and there is a good chance you will be hit as they floor it to enter onto your route. This is, obviously, why cyclists ride WITH TRAFFIC.

Now if there are no sidewalks on your route, very few intersections, kinda narrow road, yeah, run against traffic, sure.

old guy 70 wrote:

Common sense would tell you to run facing traffic. I want to see what's coming. You can't react to something you can't see.

And I don't. Or, better: I don't need to run facing traffic to see what's coming.

I run where I want, with traffic, facing traffic, whatever.

Come on people, you have eyes, ears, a head that you can rotate so you can look over your shoulder, to the side etc.

I know it's hard for some people but don't you have any situational awareness at all? I know if three cars are 200 meters behind me, I know that there are a couple birds sitting in a tree on my left, I see the walkers coming around the corner 100 meter in front of me, I hear what theyre talking about and what brand of polo's they wear.

Just be alert.

The non-alert dimwit with the headphones running "by the rules" is the one going to get hit. Not me.

I say ALWAYS run on the LEFT, even in England

There are circumstances where running with traffic is safer. For example, if you are approaching a blind curve or crest of a hill and the road behind you is straight such that any vehicles would be able to see you clearly, but oncoming vehicles would not. Or if the shoulder on the side of the road that is with traffic is very large and there is a small or non-existent shoulder on the side against traffic. It's pretty dumb to stay on one side of the road all the time.

Blah Blah. wrote:

If there are sidewalks it is safer to run on the RIGHT side of the road.

Too many stroller moms walking 3 abreast who think runners should move out of the way of their starbucks fueled playdate.

You don't care about their well being. You care more about (1) having a position that makes you feel superior to the runners in question, and (2) trying to pull the ultimate coup of changing their mind so they view you as a big hero.