National Running Safety Month – Be Seen For Your Safety !

Finishing a run safely requires planning for the conditions and thinking of safety BEFORE you head out the door

Having run into a trash can while running late at night on the Mount Vernon Trail alongside the George Washington Parkway in Alexandria, Virginia, I commend Brooks Running Shoes, Illuminite and Knuckle Lights for sponsoring National Running Safety Month. This time of year there are many road races celebrating New Years Eve.  I remember watching (from the warmth of my sister’s apartment!) when my mother and sister ran the New York City Midnight Run.  While Central Park was well-lit, most night-time running poses increased risk due to hidden street surface defects.  The sponsors of the month-long event are helping to bring awareness to strategies and products that can make running in the dark safer and more enjoyable.

Knuckle Lights Running Gear enables walkers, joggers and runners to run at night with their lights for  that are worn on the front of your hands. This new piece of running gear serves as a perfect alternative to light your next night run or walk. Since I always try to run and bike in bright, reflective colors, I was also glad to see that Illuminite had also partnered with Knuckle Lights and Brooks to support National Running Safety Month.  Illuminite makes innovative reflective sportswear and apparel. Their technical garments use retro reflective Reflec Technology. Illuminite Reflective Apparel can be used to increase visibility (and safety) when running, walking, and cycling.  These products can be combined to enable you to be seen for your safety.

The support of the three athletic equipment makers is especially commendable in light of the pedestrian fatal injury statistics published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”).  Under  the DOT, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did a study looking at “Pedestrian Roadway Fatalities“. The analysis of the data revealed that nighttime, especially the 6 PM to midnight hours, accounted for almost 50 percent of the pedestrian fatalities. In light of this evidence, those of us who exercise outside in the winter when it gets dark early, or who run at night year round, are best advised to wear reflective clothing and carry a device that makes our presence obvious to truck and car drivers on the roadway. If you or someone you know or care for has been injured in a car, truck, running, bicycle or motorcycle crash and there are questions about what laws apply, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555).