Do you wear visibility gear when running in the dark?

This Fat Girl Runs

I wear a black long sleeve top in winter, but it has reflective stripes on the sleeves and front so I feel ok with that. Plus the other lights/reflector stuff I wear make up for it.

Hannibal Smith

HelenAnne wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but connected -- I am always surprised how many black running tops (t-shirts / long sleeves / jackest etc) are for sale in Irish sports shops. And races and the Irish Times running series have given out black t-shirts too. I never wear black tops -- too hot in summer, too invisible in winter.

As a connected tangent from the hi-viz discussion, does anyone else think black running tops are pointless?

Last year I always wore black. ..not in winter. ..but in the summer...I was so paranoid about being seen running thatbi thought black would camouflage me...I probably stood out more though

Hannibal Smith

RayCun wrote: »

But everyone knows black is cool!

(there is a guy in our club who only ever wears black)

Maybe he's a ninja

rainbow kirby

HelenAnne wrote: »

As a connected tangent from the hi-viz discussion, does anyone else think black running tops are pointless?

Fine for daytime wear in spring/autumn or as a base layer in the winter, but I generally prefer brighter colours up top. My tri top is bright pink and it stands out a mile at most races...

adrian522

HelenAnne wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but connected -- I am always surprised how many black running tops (t-shirts / long sleeves / jackest etc) are for sale in Irish sports shops. And races and the Irish Times running series have given out black t-shirts too. I never wear black tops -- too hot in summer, too invisible in winter.

As a connected tangent from the hi-viz discussion, does anyone else think black running tops are pointless?

I am pretty sure the idea the black tops make you hotter in Summer is a complete myth

HelenAnne

adrian522 wrote: »

I am pretty sure the idea the black tops make you hotter in Summer is a complete myth

I think you're right -- I read that somewhere recently. But I always FEEL hotter. Not sure if it's because some of my black race t-shirts are actually made of heavier material, or if it's just all in my head.

rom

For all those that think they are safe running on path. If you are crossing any road then you are at risk. Say you are crossing a minor road at a t junction and a car comes from the major road. They will not see you and reflective gear is only good when light shines on it where it will be the last moment in that case. This is how I ended up on a bonnet one day while wearing a bib and head torch with back and front light and no iPod on.

Secondly when running your vision is impaired. Ever notice that you run past so.done and notice who they are later. Well when putting in effort you body kind of says your legs need the energy etc and your eyes need less. Its a ki d of tunnel vision. For these two reasons you should wear reflective gear and cross all roads slowly and safely. If you need to do a session then do it somewhere where there is no roads to cross or cross the roads during the warm up or cool down parts of your run. Expect that drivers can't see you.

ThisRegard

rom wrote: »

For all those that think they are safe running on path. If you are crossing any road then you are at risk. Say you are crossing a minor road at a t junction and a car comes from the major road. They will not see you and reflective gear is only good when light shines on it where it will be the last moment in that case. This is how I ended up on a bonnet one day while wearing a bib and head torch with back and front light and no iPod on.

And it's as likely to happen if you were out walking.

PaulieC

rom wrote: »

Say you are crossing a minor road at a t junction and a car comes from the major road. They will not see you and reflective gear is only good when light shines on it where it will be the last moment in that case.

Is this hypothetical car driving in the dark with no lights on ? If that's the case, high-viz or reflective material is unlikely to save you. If the car does have its lights on then all you have to do is look around, same as you always would when crossing a road.

There are studies indicating that high-viz is not actually as god as you might think when it comes to drivers seeing you. Search for "drivers don't see high-viz" and there are range of articles on the subject.

Bottom line is you have to look out for yourself and assume nobody else is.

Krusty_Clown

The other night, I found myself working late and had to stick around work for an additional hour, before I could pick my daughter up and go home. Rifling through my drawers in work, all I could find was black stuff (I pretty much always wear some form of high-viz gear and/or lights when running at night. Given the choice between not running and wearing dark gear, I took an informed risk, and ran a local well-lit loop, almost entirely on paths (three roads to cross). I came across around 15 runners on my 5 mile loop, and thought it was strange that all but two of them were wearing all black.

Moral of the story: Ninjas attract ninjas.

Other moral: runners are idiots.

Yes, I'm an idiot.

PaulieC

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

The other night, I found myself working late and had to stick around work for an additional hour, before I could pick my daughter up and go home. Rifling through my drawers in work, all I could find was black stuff (I pretty much always wear some form of high-viz gear and/or lights when running at night. Given the choice between not running and wearing dark gear, I took an informed risk, and ran a local well-lit loop, almost entirely on paths (three roads to cross). I came across around 15 runners on my 5 mile loop, and thought it was strange that all but two of them were wearing all black.

Moral of the story: Ninjas attract ninjas.

Other moral: runners are idiots.

Yes, I'm an idiot.

did you get killed ?

IvoryTower

i feel pretty safe on a footpath and i look both ways before crossing the road, works for me!

Krusty_Clown

PaulieC wrote: »

did you get killed ?

It was touch and go there for a while, but I jumped into a hot shower, and my teeth soon stopped chattering.

DubOnHoliday

If drivers etc don't see me on the path or roads, it wont be for the want of trying, I wear bright colors plus relfectiv gear. I also wear this trail running, if I break my face and am lying in some bog, I'd want people to see where I am.
Last week on the hills I passed a walker, he told me he saw me coming from miles away (bright yellow jacket) . I laughed

Where I live you are going to be running on a road at some point if you do any distance as all, you are really taking your life in your hands if you don't stand out.

rom

PaulieC wrote: »

Is this hypothetical car driving in the dark with no lights on ? If that's the case, high-viz or reflective material is unlikely to save you. If the car does have its lights on then all you have to do is look around, same as you always would when crossing a road.

There are studies indicating that high-viz is not actually as god as you might think when it comes to drivers seeing you. Search for "drivers don't see high-viz" and there are range of articles on the subject.

Bottom line is you have to look out for yourself and assume nobody else is.

Not a car with lights off off but everyone can get distracted. Personally I zone out a bit while running and am not concentrating on traffic patterns

100% agree that hi visibility gear is far from a life saver. Now I stop when crossing every road. I don't take risks, wait for the lights etc.

"Bottom line is you have to look out for yourself and assume nobody else is."
Exactly. At the end of the day its just a hobby no need to die doing it.

Stark

Personally I prefer to wear discreet clothing when running rather than Christmas tree decorations as I attract less attention from the wrong sort of people. Have yet to be hit by a car in spite of the lack of flashing decorations.

rom wrote:

Secondly when running your vision is impaired. Ever notice that you run past so.done and notice who they are later. Well when putting in effort you body kind of says your legs need the energy etc and your eyes need less. Its a ki d of tunnel vision. For these two reasons you should wear reflective gear and cross all roads slowly and safely. If you need to do a session then do it somewhere where there is no roads to cross or cross the roads during the warm up or cool down parts of your run. Expect that drivers can't see you.

Can't say I experience vision loss on a regular basis when running Most of my running on footpaths is at easy pace anyway, if I'm doing a harder session it'll be in a park or on a track or some other off-road location. I'd wager most people you meet out running on the footpaths aren't exactly tearing it up either.

ThisRegard

I see there have been posts deleted, the dangers of drunk posting, haha.

rom

ThisRegard wrote: »

I see there have been posts deleted, the dangers of drunk posting, haha.

Nah, it just wasn't worth it.