By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
A few days ago, I was leaving the place where I usually have breakfast and was about to turn left to merge into traffic. So, naturally, I was looking to my right to make sure it was safe to hit the gas pedal. As the car accelerated, a startled runner coming from my left appeared in front of my windshield. Thank God I was alert and was able to hit the brakes in time.
The runner bitched at me. I lowered the window and yelled, “You must make sure I see you”. Then he told me I’m number one, and we parted ways.
Should I have looked both ways before making sure the road was clear? Sure. But the key message from this story is not who’s at fault. It is that if I hit you with my car, unless you are from Planet Krypton, you are losing that battle. You must internalize this basic safety concept.
I can’t believe I have to write about this, because so many runners out there insist on exercising their right of way based on principle rather than their own well-being.
I worked in the construction industry for quite a while, and there are two things safety experts drill into their workers. Their extrapolation perfectly applies to running on the road.
► Safety is my responsibility: It doesn’t matter how much effort your contractor puts into maintaining a safe jobsite or safety culture environment. If you don’t wear your PPE (personal protective equipment), you will get hurt. Stories of workers getting seriously injured, or worse, for not wearing their PPE are not rare occurrences.
► Who are you going home to? You leave for work, say goodbye to your loved ones, and they expect you to come back home. Never forget that. Do all you can to ensure that you are indeed returning.
Now that these two paramount safety principles have been established, let’s deconstruct the basic steps to cross paths in front of a car merging into traffic.
How to Ensure a Driver Sees You
► Accept that regardless of who is right, if a car/truck/motorcycle hits you, you will be on the losing end of the accident.
► Look for the driver and check where they are focusing their attention. Are they playing with a phone? Are they looking at both ways?
► Put yourself in the driver’s seat. Identify the situation so you may visualize the outcomes, react accordingly, and enhance your chances of being seen and continuing uneventfully.
► Make eye contact with the driver and don’t assume you have been seen. Wait for an acknowledgment.
► If the driver hasn’t seen you, wave your arms or yell if the window is open, and then wait for acknowledgment.
► Once you know 100% that you have been seen, then you may cross in front of the vehicle. Make sure you point at the driver if additional runners are coming behind you.
► Thank the driver for allowing you to pass through safely.
If any of these conditions are not met, you stop and wait for the car to do its thing. Or, if it is safe to do so, go behind the car and continue your merry way. Tragedy avoided.
One more thing:
Since we are on the subject, when crossing a street on a red light, even if you have the right of way, ensure the drivers in the first row see you. The last thing you want is the light suddenly turning green and a distracted driver discovering you are on their path when it is too late to brake.
I understand this blog post is uncomfortable, but I’ve seen so many close calls lately and just had one. So, I’d rather write about an unpleasant subject and force you to think about the issue than learn that you were involved in a sad incident.
Share your tips or experiences on running safety in the comment box below. I read all your comments.
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