Atlanta Weather

Clear

39° F

Pollen 1

Air quality 45

| Traffic

Home > The Running Report > Archives > 2008 > March > 07

Friday, March 7, 2008

Running on the Wrong Side of the Road

By Adrianne Murchison | Friday, March 7, 2008, 12:25 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

I’m guilty.

My normal route has no sidewalks and unless it’s dark or foggy outside I run with the flow of traffic on the side of the road. In poor visibility, I’ll run facing traffic.

Sally Flocks, president of PEDS, a pedestrian advocacy group says, “When you’re walking [or running] in the street, you should be facing traffic. The law requires pedestrians to yield to cars, which means it’s your responsibility to get out of the way.”

Flocks recalls a fatal accident in 1999. A Lawrenceville mom and her three children, walking along the side of the road, were blindsided by a teen driver dialing a cell phone. The mother’s two-year-old son was killed.

“That’s a really good example of what runners need to be aware of. You have to recognize that drivers are not paying attention, even if you are,” Flocks says.

Which side of the road do you run on? Do you think it makes a difference one way or the other? When you’re driving, do you care? Had any close calls?

In summer camp, as a kid, I was taught to walk with the flow of traffic. Been doing it ever since but now every once in a while on my running route, a driver or resident becomes annoyed enough to scold me.

Not realizing the error of my ways, I continued on the wrong side of the road for nearly three years.

Last summer a driver made me so angry with his protest that I later went online to confirm to myself that I was right. (I had planned to get a T-shirt with bold print that said, ‘I AM running on the correct side of the road!’ )

I continued to run on the wrong side because I’m used to it.

That is until today.

Flocks made a lot of sense.

Odds of Survival if hit by a vehicle per Sally Flocks:

  • If hit at 20 miles per hour, the risk of death is five percent.

  • If hit at 30 miles per hour, the risk of death is 45 percent.

  • If hit at 40 miles per hour, the risk of death is 85 percent.

    MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.

    P.S. A lot of you have left great comments about the worst hills in the Atlanta area. Keep them coming. Read the blog here. Or send your hill suggestions to me here.

    Permalink | Comments (81) | Post your comment |

    •  

    Do Good Locally » Find nonprofit causes near you

    Find more causes » List your nonprofit

    Kudzu Services » Find the right people for the job