Running on the road v pavement/safety

Craigevans1985

I'm no novice to running, marathons down and on track for this October again, but I have a bee in my bonnet about running on the road and safety.
The Rules of the Road state that as a pedestrian "If there is a footpath, you must use it."
Yet I nearly creamed a runner yesterday as I turned a sharp left corner to see a running on the road, with a footpath next to him, running against the traffic. I narrowly avoided a car coming the other way to avoid the idiot and then he stuck fingers up at me like I was in the wrong.
Now, as I said, I run, I run the 12 miles every other Friday to work and I can manage to run the whole thing without running on the tarmac once, pavement all the way except crossing the street. That's from out Lucan way, all the way to Dublin Port to work.
So am I missing something, is there some reason to run on the road that I don't get that negates the Rules of the Road, common sense and personal safety?
I see an awful lot of runners casually running on the road, with a footpath alongside. Don't get it...

Djoucer

I mainly run on the road to avoid slow joggers.

I’m actually quite fast and the other joggers just get in my way. I pay my taxes. Just because all the other slow coaches use the footpath it doesn’t mean I have to.

Motorists need to be more careful. There are other fine tuned machines also using the road, and they’re not made from metal.

Craigevans1985

Djoucer wrote: »

Just because all the other slow coaches use the footpath it doesn’t mean I have to.

Actually it does. That's the point, you are putting yourself in danger, and making cyclists and drivers avoid you when there are paths that you are required to use, that's the law strangely enough.

I run fast too, but I don't seem to run into any problems with congestion until I get to the quays. I can run miles without finding another runner.

I wouldn't cycle on a footpath, I don't run on the road unless it's in a race.

Djoucer

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

Actually it does. That's the point, you are putting yourself in danger, and making cyclists and drivers avoid you when there are paths that you are required to use, that's the law strangely enough.

If anything, it's the motorists who are dangerous. They constantly beep at me, a dangerous act that could cause me to veer into traffic with fright.

Sometimes I’m going so fast that when someone beeps it throws me a bit and I lose control of my legs.

Craigevans1985

Djoucer wrote: »

If anything, it's the motorists who are dangerous. They constantly beep at me, a dangerous act that could cause me to veer into traffic with fright.

Sometimes I’m going so fast that when someone beeps it throws me a bit and I lose control of my legs.

Wouldn't the lesson there be to get off the road? You're just in the wrong.

I don't have the same fright reaction to being beeped as I'm on the footpath keeping my legs under control

Craigevans1985

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

Wouldn't the lesson there be to get off the road? You're just in the wrong.

I don't have the same fright reaction to being beeped as I'm on the footpath keeping my legs under control

Ayway, off out now for a run, footpath hear I come

Djoucer

I gave an interview to my local newspaper on this very subject.

ThisRegard

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

Yet I nearly creamed a runner yesterday as I turned a sharp left corner to see a running on the road

What if it was a slow cyclist?

average_runner

ThisRegard wrote: »

What if it was a slow cyclist?

Run those b**tards down:D

average_runner

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

I'm no novice to running, marathons down and on track for this October again, but I have a bee in my bonnet about running on the road and safety.
The Rules of the Road state that as a pedestrian "If there is a footpath, you must use it."
Yet I nearly creamed a runner yesterday as I turned a sharp left corner to see a running on the road, with a footpath next to him, running against the traffic. I narrowly avoided a car coming the other way to avoid the idiot and then he stuck fingers up at me like I was in the wrong.
Now, as I said, I run, I run the 12 miles every other Friday to work and I can manage to run the whole thing without running on the tarmac once, pavement all the way except crossing the street. That's from out Lucan way, all the way to Dublin Port to work.
So am I missing something, is there some reason to run on the road that I don't get that negates the Rules of the Road, common sense and personal safety?
I see an awful lot of runners casually running on the road, with a footpath alongside. Don't get it...

Was this in Lucan? Where in Lucan if it was, as I run alot around there, but not on the road

Craigevans1985

coming out of the square turning left onto main street. Approach junction, look right to avoid cars coming from my right on my side of the road, avoid man running at bonnet of car on the wrong side o the road...

Craigevans1985

ThisRegard wrote: »

What if it was a slow cyclist?

the cyclist would be going the same direction as me, not approaching me on the same side of the road.

panda100

Is running on road surface better for your knees or is that a myth? Its why i run on the road!

ThisRegard

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

the cyclist would be going the same direction as me, not approaching me on the same side of the road.

Unless the runner was a cyber enhanced Usain Bolt it makes no difference. Runner takes up less space and you should have been anticipating at least a cyclist or other vehicle around the bend.

Craigevans1985

Djoucer wrote: »

I gave an interview to my local newspaper on this very subject.

dude, that's too funny. "Every evening it’s the same thing. He never moves over, even a little bit the c*nt.”
Did you write that yourself!

Craigevans1985

ThisRegard wrote: »

Unless the runner was a cyber enhanced Usain Bolt it makes no difference. Runner takes up less space and you should have been anticipating at least a cyclist or other vehicle around the bend.

That's my arse. If any person or vehicle was on the wrong side of the road then I would be in the right, full stop. We drive, cycle on the left in the direction of traffic. If a bike was going the same direction as me, guess what, I'd have seen him already as he would have ben ahead of me as I came down the lane and I would have seen him turn the corner. What I wouldn't expect would be some cyclist with a death wish cycling on the right hand side of the road against traffic. I would not be anticipating that, and nor would anyone else.

ThisRegard

How blind was this bend, can you link to it on Google maps?

I'm not condoning what the runner is doing, but I don't think he was a bigger hazzard than a cyclist in the same direction that you come upon on blind bend.

average_runner

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

That's my arse. If any person or vehicle was on the wrong side of the road then I would be in the right, full stop. We drive, cycle on the left in the direction of traffic. If a bike was going the same direction as me, guess what, I'd have seen him already as he would have ben ahead of me as I came down the lane and I would have seen him turn the corner. What I wouldn't expect would be some cyclist with a death wish cycling on the right hand side of the road against traffic. I would not be anticipating that, and nor would anyone else.

Your meant to run and walk towards the traffic so you can whats coming

Foo King Ell

average_runner wrote: »

Your meant to run and walk towards the traffic so you can whats coming

Man... When you are on a road without a pavement available.

seamus

I'm inclined to think that unless this guy was running right in the middle of the road or sprinting like bedamned, you were travelling either too fast or too tight around that corner if you needed to swerve at the last minute. What if he'd been a car broken down and pulled in? You'd have been screwed.

Doesn't excuse him running on the road around a blind bend, but you have lessons to learn about good driving technique from this incident too.

I do run on the road against traffic on occasion. Usually when there's a bad camber on the path or it's badly undulating. Even then I usually only go on the road when the traffic is miles away. I jump on the path when the traffic goes past, and then back onto the road. Templeogue road is a prime example of a path that's a disaster for running on.

average_runner

Foo King Ell wrote: »

Man... When you are on a road without a pavement available.

Yes we know if the pavement is present you should run on it, but if you decide not to, then run properly on the road, against the traffic

Foo King Ell

ThisRegard wrote: »

How blind was this bend, can you link to it on Google maps?

I'm not condoning what the runner is doing, but I don't think he was a bigger hazzard than a cyclist in the same direction that you come upon on blind bend.

Drive home later on and every time you cometo a junction and turn left, check your actions. You look right and then move off when its safe. The RSA site has all this info in huge detail, when turning left..."Make the turn, keeping close to the left-hand edge..." which would is what you generally do.

Foo King Ell

average_runner wrote: »

Yes we know if the pavement is present you should run on it, but if you decide not to, then run properly on the road, against the traffic

Nope. Again, RSA website, http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-of-the-road-eng.pdf you MUST WALK, if there is no footpath available. And then you do it on the right hand side approaching traffic.

ThisRegard

He wasn't turning left at a junction.

And do you blindly follow those RSA recommendations? If you were turning left and there was a hole, cyclist, pedestrian, dog, horse whatever, do you still keep close to the left-hand edge because the RSA told you to?

Anyway, I don't get the relevance of what you're saying to what you quoted.

Foo King Ell

seamus wrote: »

I'm inclined to think that unless this guy was running right in the middle of the road or sprinting like bedamned, you were travelling either too fast or too tight around that corner if you needed to swerve at the last minute. What if he'd been a car broken down and pulled in? You'd have been screwed.
.

Probably true

Foo King Ell

ThisRegard wrote: »

He wasn't turning left at a junction.

And do you blindly follow those RSA recommendations? If you were turning left and there was a hole, cyclist, pedestrian, dog, horse whatever, do you still keep close to the left-hand edge because the RSA told you to?

Anyway, I don't get the relevance of what you're saying to what you quoted.

It is left from the square onto main street Lucan.

And weirdly, the RSA didn't make the rules, it's from the Road Traffic Act that the state obliges us all to blindly follow?

magicpd

Seems that the general reply be.
1. No, you shouln't run on the road when there is a foopath available.
2. Yes, you can be a pedestrian on the road when there's no footpath, but you should walk on the right hand side and be safe
3. Since there might be something unexpected around a corner, take care when approaching the corner
4. The RSA doesn't know everything
5. In order of who comes off worst on the road, pedestrian-cyclist-motorbike-car-truck, so being at the bottom requires more self preservation

ThisRegard

Foo King Ell wrote: »

And weirdly, the RSA didn't make the rules, it's from the Road Traffic Act that the state obliges us all to blindly follow?

I never said they did, I'm not the one that mentioned the RSA and what you should do, you did.

How do you know it was from the square in Lucan, are you and the OP the same person?

Krusty_Clown

Craigevans1985 wrote: »

That's my arse. If any person or vehicle was on the wrong side of the road then I would be in the right, full stop. We drive, cycle on the left in the direction of traffic. If a bike was going the same direction as me, guess what, I'd have seen him already as he would have ben ahead of me as I came down the lane and I would have seen him turn the corner. What I wouldn't expect would be some cyclist with a death wish cycling on the right hand side of the road against traffic. I would not be anticipating that, and nor would anyone else.

When there is no footpath a pedestrian must walk or run on the right hand side of the road, towards oncoming traffic. It's in the same section of the rules of the road you quotes earlier. Of course when there is a footpath, they should be on it (as long as it's not obstructed by parked vehicles, cyclists, etc).

adrian522

I think the biggest problem I come across when running is vehicles turning left out of a minor road or driveway, they are looking right for oncoming traffic, often don't bother even glancing the other direction for pedestrians on the footpath. Nearly come to grief a few times over this.

walshb

This question is constantly asked on AR. The more pertinent question "Is it worth the risk if family members have to spend their time visiting your grave." The rights and wrongs mean F all if you are 6 feet under because you were stubborn and arrogant.