Runners who run on the wrong side of the road

Haha hate that. #America

You should run on top of the road.

Get hit by a car.

You’re gonna go home DEVASTATED.

What is worse is when they run in the bike lane. The bike lane is for bikes. Stay out of it. It's more dangerous.

Stay on the sidewalks wrote:

What is worse is when they run in the bike lane. The bike lane is for bikes. Stay out of it. It's more dangerous.

Bike lanes are ridiculous. Here in Houston we have "bike lanes" where it is just a painted line on the right side of the road. There is no physical barrier to protect the cyclist. You are supposed to ride in an unprotected 3 feet of the road with cars traveling 45 mph or even faster. Many of these roads have heavy traffic as well.

What is the wrong side of the road? In NY and most states you're required to face the traffic if there is no sidewalk.

Abdoujaparov wrote:

What is the wrong side of the road? In NY and most states you're required to face the traffic if there is no sidewalk.

"the Road Runners Club of America recommends always running against traffic"

I live in an unbearably "progressive" urban area where eveyone does things differently just to be annoying. Nearly everyone here runs with traffic, and most people walk on the left side of the sidewalk. Good times!

Stay on the sidewalks wrote:

What is worse is when they run in the bike lane. The bike lane is for bikes. Stay out of it. It's more dangerous.

I dunno if I agree with that. In the city there are driveways and alleyways where drivers don't stop behind the sidewalk, but pull up to the street. In the bike lane you can clearly be seen. Prove me wrong.

Probably Anne Sacoolas? The Northants police want a word with her.

Is there any data suggesting running on either side of the road is actually safer?

I've run 10's of thousands of miles on the roads, Ii usually run against traffic, but if the other side of the street has a nicer space to run on, or I've got a right turn coming up, I'll run with traffic.

True, you can see cars coming at you when running against traffic, but you can still hear them coming. I've never been surprised by a car approaching from the rear, I always no what's there.

Truth Bomber wrote:

Discus

I raced an out-and-back 5k. On my way back, a group of 45 min runners were spread across the course. The group refused to yield to oncoming runners as they had to (technically) leave the course to avoid running into this obnoxious group .

Being the 135lb bad ass that I am, I went dropped the shoulder and did my best interpretation of a pee wee football running back. Hit the guy pretty hard. I was sure he would look for me after the race, but at his pace I was already home and showered before he crossed the finish.

Bunch of Malarkey wrote:

Is there any data suggesting running on either side of the road is actually safer?

I've run 10's of thousands of miles on the roads, Ii usually run against traffic, but if the other side of the street has a nicer space to run on, or I've got a right turn coming up, I'll run with traffic.

True, you can see cars coming at you when running against traffic, but you can still hear them coming. I've never been surprised by a car approaching from the rear, I always no what's there.

You ride a bike with traffic because when someone is pulling our on to a street they are *usually* looking primarily left to check for traffic. I'm sure you've heard "look left, right, and left again." Most people also are making right turns = checking for traffic from the left. This means a bike approaching from the left (with traffic) is more visible and the driver is less likely to t-bone the cyclist.

Conversely, while running it is safer to run facing traffic because you have vision and more time to react to a driver who may be approaching you. Yes, you can usually hear cars approaching from behind but you have no idea if they're driving on the shoulder about to plow you over without checking. As more EVs hit the road, cars will become audibly less perceptible.

There was a big push in the 80s to instruct people to walk and ride on the correct side of the road. Most people seem to have forgotten which is correct.

Bunch of Malarkey wrote:

Is there any data suggesting running on either side of the road is actually safer?

I've run 10's of thousands of miles on the roads, Ii usually run against traffic, but if the other side of the street has a nicer space to run on, or I've got a right turn coming up, I'll run with traffic.

True, you can see cars coming at you when running against traffic, but you can still hear them coming. I've never been surprised by a car approaching from the rear, I always no what's there.

Electric vehicles are not as noisy and can surprise you. Especially if the driver is asleep at the wheel

It depends on the road.

If there are hills or blind corners that will prevent an oncoming car (or even cyclist) from hitting me I will often run with traffic (right side in the US). Better to give the cars behind you a long chance to see you than a car coming around a corner or hill NO chance to see you.

I also take general traffic into account. At some times of day there can be 3-5 times as many cars going in one direction compared to the other (i.e. rush hours where more people are coming home), so it can make more sense to run on the other side of the road (against or with traffic) depending on the traffic volumes.

It's just all about reducing risk for me. Not just sticking hard and fast to "run against traffic".

seattle prattle wrote:

Abdoujaparov wrote:

What is the wrong side of the road? In NY and most states you're required to face the traffic if there is no sidewalk.

"the Road Runners Club of America recommends always running against traffic"

Overuse injuries say otherwise.

Close but no. The reason bikers should ride with traffic has to do with two things related to speed. First, say the bike is riding at 15 mph. When a car is driving in the opposite direction at say 45 there is much less time to react, for both, since both are approaching each other and doing so multiplies the effect of the spread of each. Similarly, if there were a collision, the force would be multiplied if both were coming at each other, whereas it’s less if both are going in the same direction. And obviously a car approaching a bike that is going in the same direction has more time to react. Walkers and runners are smaller, more able to stop or move safely on dime, and are going relatively slow enough that it is better for the ped to see what’s coming than to worry about reaction times or force of impact.

Based on that isn't it safer to run with traffic. If you're running against traffic and someone is making a right hand turn they look the way the traffic is going-not opposite.

It depends wrote:

It depends on the road.

If there are hills or blind corners that will prevent an oncoming car (or even cyclist) from hitting me I will often run with traffic (right side in the US). Better to give the cars behind you a long chance to see you than a car coming around a corner or hill NO chance to see you.

I also take general traffic into account. At some times of day there can be 3-5 times as many cars going in one direction compared to the other (i.e. rush hours where more people are coming home), so it can make more sense to run on the other side of the road (against or with traffic) depending on the traffic volumes.

It's just all about reducing risk for me. Not just sticking hard and fast to "run against traffic".

.