Which side of the road do you run on?

i run toward traffic. id like to be able to see if a car is going to ram into me. i don't like the feeling of cars whizzing by with my back toward them. this goes the same for biking, evne though legally you're supposed to ride with traffic.

As a general rule, it is best to run or walk against traffic so that you can see oncoming cars. When running or walking you can easily step off the roadway to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. There may be exceptions to this rule when it is clearly less hazardous to go with traffic.

Wheeled traffic (bicycles, rollerblades) are generally required by law (not that this is enforced) to go with traffic and to follow the same rules as motor vehicles. The reasoning is that wheeled traffic can not generally hop off the road surface. Without regard to legalities, one can envision the occassional situation where it is far safer to ride against traffic.

I run against traffic on any road. Even without the safety factor, it actually works out better for me anyway because my right leg is a little shorter than my left so it feels better than running on the right hand side.

miso wrote:

Are there no sidewalks where you people live? Or do you just avoid them for some reason?

Believe it or not, much of the world is not as civilized as your hometown, wherever that may be.

I run right down the middle. Our dirt roads have little travel. If a car is coming toward me I move to the right. If it is behind me a run on the left.

miso wrote:

Are there no sidewalks where you people live? Or do you just avoid them for some reason?

I avoid them because they are too irregular generally and make me go up and down steps at every road. I'm fu*king old and more brittle every day. And asphalt feels softer than concrete. I face traffic, by the way.

My rules are if the street is a busy street and there is a sidewalk available I run on it. Otherwise I run facing traffic. This does cause issues on one route in particular which is a 3.5 mile loop with no sidewalks. It is popular with cyclists who ride the fog line tight and yell when they pass you. Not sure how it is different than if I were running in the same direction as them since I would still be where they want to ride.

Running with my 7-month-old in the baby jogger I run in the road facing traffic. Sidewalk is way too bumpy - I liken it to shaken baby syndrome. I get the occassional honk, but the difference is so dramatic I'll take it.

Since many roads are cambered, I tend to mix it up so I don't run on the same slope all day. My general preference is to run against traffic on a straight stretch of road and with traffic if there are turns or if there are lots of bikes around. But sometimes it's just a matter of which side has the widest shoulder or the smoothest pavement or the most shade or whatever.

I prefer to see what's about to break every bone in my body, but that's just me.

Both sides

because the world is

ROUND

i always feel more confortabler running towards traffic UNLESS it's around a sharp curve over over a steep hill where oncoming cars can't see you

hypnotoad wrote:

Since many roads are cambered, I tend to mix it up so I don't run on the same slope all day. My general preference is to run against traffic on a straight stretch of road and with traffic if there are turns or if there are lots of bikes around. But sometimes it's just a matter of which side has the widest shoulder or the smoothest pavement or the most shade or whatever.

Right...

If you run on the same side of the road all the time it will come back to bite you... I try to run 1/2 of every run on each side of the road. If you pick roads with little traffic this works best.

When running on the right...I listen carefully for cars coming up behind me. I can tell if they are moving over to the left lane by listening closely. I still look back when the car is 50 ft or so away, to be safe.

The most dangerous scenario is when you see a car coming toward you (and you are on the right side of the road). You MUST look back and be certain that no one is coming up from behind you. Otherwise you could be hit by "the one that you never heard", as the noise of the car coming from in front of you covers up the noise of the car coming up from behind you...

The next most dangerous runner is the one too stupid to wear white/light colors, epically at night. Never run at night in anything other than a white shirt...

blhaha wrote:

i run toward traffic. id like to be able to see if a car is going to ram into me. i don't like the feeling of cars whizzing by with my back toward them. this goes the same for biking, evne though legally you're supposed to ride with traffic.

Funny, I ride my bike with traffic. Riding against traffic seems more dangerous to me.

I run against traffic. If there is a very wide shoulder/bike path I might run in that path. but I like to see the cars coming.

"I run with traffic and with my Ipod so that I don't know when it's coming and it's over quick"

Oh wait that's the pro I wear an IPOd when I run thread and whoever bags on me has low self esteem!

I run against traffic always, what is someone going to say when they hit you,Sorry!! Take control of your fate and don't leave it in the hands of drivers on cell phones stoned drinkin Captain!

I run with traffic. I don't wear headphones. I do a lot of night running on country roads with reflectors. I find I get blinded by headlights (brights on, usually, on jacked-up pickups) when I run against traffic. Opinions please on night running - with or against traffic.

I don't know which is more stupid: Running with traffic (ever, on even the least-traveled road) or riding against it (again, ever, on even the least-traveled road). You are the people drivers love to hate.

The middle. If a truck comes by I can just fly over it.

against traffic and like Corey Hart used to say, "I wear my Sunglasses at Night!"

Michael Stember wrote:

The middle. If a truck comes by I can just fly over it.