Walking Safely at Night

If you have a dog, or even if you enjoy walking, you know how dangerous it is to walk at night. Once the sun goes down, it’s hard to tell if drivers can see you on the roads or not. One too many times have we heard stories of friends almost getting run over by taking their dog for a night walk, or some driver not paying attention to the couple taking a nice stroll at sunset. In order to avoid something like this happening to you, here are some tips on staying safe at night.

• Stay visible: In other words, we highly don’t recommend walking around the neighborhood in a black hoodie. Reflective badges, vests, stickers, or even flashlights are great ways for cars to be aware of your presence. If you don’t wish in investing in a reflective vest or if your flashlight runs out of batteries, opt for bright colored clothes instead.
• Always face incoming traffic: Even though we all learned traffic should stay on the right side of the road, this is not the case for walkers. Drivers are more likely to recognize someone walking if they are facing the car as opposed to walking away from it.
• Be alert: If you enjoy listening to music on your walk, make sure you can still hear cars around you. If you aren’t aware of cars trying to pass you, they might not realize you are there either.
• Use the buddy system: Grab your spouse, sibling, or friend and take them with out at night. You are always more safe in numbers, so traveling as a pack may ward off some distracted drivers as opposed to walking alone.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather this season and go outside! Just remember the importance of safety while walking at night.