Running on the wrong side of the road??!!

tang1

Is this the latest phenomenon?? I can remember at least 7-8 occasions in the last few weeks I've seen runners running on the incorrect side of the road they should be. Surely in this day & age people know how dangerous this is, it's bad enough at times running towards traffic you can see on Irish roads let alone running with your back to traffic not having a clue what's approaching you from behind!!!

Mind boggles.

Annie get your Run

I see this all the time around here, in fairness I only know about it from spending time in the country as a kid where footpaths were non existent. Otherwise I doubt I'd know to run on the side of oncoming traffic. I could be wrong but I don't think I've ever seen this on a road safety add.

RacoonQueen

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I see this all the time around here, in fairness I only know about it from spending time in the country as a kid where footpaths were non existent. Otherwise I doubt I'd know to run on the side of oncoming traffic. I could be wrong but I don't think I've ever seen this on a road safety add.

I'm a total city girl and I've known for as long as I remember to always walk/run against traffic. No excuses for not knowing IMO.

tang1

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I'm a total city girl and I've known for as long as I remember to always walk/run against traffic. No excuses for not knowing IMO.

No excuses is right, quick Goggle will tell you if your unsure. I was out today and a lady passed me on the wrong side of the road wearing a pair of those big Beats style earphones, completely oblivious to what was going on around her. The road I past her on is chronic busy with cement/gravel trucks.

Annie get your Run

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I'm a total city girl and I've known for as long as I remember to always walk/run against traffic. No excuses for not knowing IMO.

Out of curiosity who told you? We obviously don't have that issue in the city so why would anyone who grew up in the city even need to know? I'm just curious as I don't think it's publicized in road safety - or maybe I don't notice it because I already knew.

tang1

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Out of curiosity who told you? We obviously don't have that issue in the city so why would anyone who grew up in the city even need to know? I'm just curious as I don't think it's publicized in road safety - or maybe I don't notice it because I already knew.

Screen grab from RSA website so it is there if you want to know.

Annie get your Run

tang1 wrote: »

Screen grab from RSA website so it is there if you want to know.

Good to know, obviously not a page visited by many people! I just wondered if it's people who've moved away from cities but could just be the same ignorance we see everywhere on the roads

sideswipe

Think its worth noting there are exceptions to the rule. A few places I run where you have to cross and run on the 'wrong' side to avoid a blind corner.

and still ricky villa

I wonder what motorists think of this?
I'll always face traffic but you get the odd wave or flashed lights and can't help but wonder are they thinking 'Would you take a look at this fecking tool'
Either way, they get the obligatory wave and nod

goalscoringhero

tang1 wrote: »

Mind boggles.

I run or walk wherever I please, including with or against the traffic.
Preferably against but there are countless situations where going with the traffic is safer, e.g. sharp bends, or suddenly disappearing sidewalks that require a crossing.

RacoonQueen

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Out of curiosity who told you? We obviously don't have that issue in the city so why would anyone who grew up in the city even need to know? I'm just curious as I don't think it's publicized in road safety - or maybe I don't notice it because I already knew.

No idea who told me. It's one of those things I feel like I always knew...maybe I just picked it up as common sense somewhere along the line. Perhaps came up somewhere on TV or radio or something...or I learnt it from my old man (a dublin inner city man himself) seems like the sort of random thing he'd have known about.

sideswipe wrote: »

Think its worth noting there are exceptions to the rule. A few places I run where you have to cross and run on the 'wrong' side to avoid a blind corner.

Yeah...the few times I've run on country roads i've had times where I hit blind bends but I've mostly just moved out into the middle of the lane for them. I'm sure there have been times also when I've fully crossed. Close to home, down by the strawberry beds is a good example of this, ran along here from Phoenix Park into Lucan once...wasn't too bad but a few parts where I had to move out to see what was coming.

sideswipe

and still ricky villa wrote: »

I wonder what motorists think of this?
I'll always face traffic but you get the odd wave or flashed lights and can't help but wonder are they thinking 'Would you take a look at this fecking tool'
Either way, they get the obligatory wave and nod

Think it's fair to say a large percentage of motorists hate runner/cyclists. I was running on a country road a while back, there was a 'footpath', but it was poorly kept, it was covered in about 4 inches of lying water and it was still pissing down at the time. I'm running on the road, inside a broken yellow line not affecting traffic, when this old lad driving towards me flashes, beeps and gesticulates towards the path in a 'get the **** off my road' kind of way:rolleyes:

axe2grind

There's no way I'll run around a blind corner against the traffic, to me that's suicidal and a source of significant accident with a car swerving out to miss me and hitting vehicle on other side so I'm switching sides a lot to avoid this. Effectively as a runner I'm not much different than many cyclists with my presence on the road, and they're never on the side going against the traffic.

ThisRegard

sideswipe wrote: »

Think it's fair to say a large percentage of motorists hate runner

I wouldn't agree with that, 99.9% of the time I receive ample space from motorists.

meeeeh

axe2grind wrote: »

Effectively as a runner I'm not much different than many cyclists with my presence on the road, and they're never on the side going against the traffic.

Cyclist is a vehicle that has the right to be on the road and they should be traveling with the traffic. A runner is a pedestrian that should be on the footpath or side of the road facing traffic. I haven't grown up in Ireland but that's is one of the first things we learned in school. First day actually although our parents would teach us that before and mind boggles how anyone would not know the basic rules (I don't care what country you grew up in).

That being said I don't like running on roads, especially local roads here because there's no space for pedestrians. Irish roads are quite car friendly with hard shoulders and very badly designed for pedestrians.

axe2grind

meeeeh wrote: »

Cyclist is a vehicle that has the right to be on the road and they should be traveling with the traffic. A runner is a pedestrian that should be on the footpath or side of the road facing traffic. I haven't grown up in Ireland but that's is one of the first things we learned in school. First day actually although our parents would teach us that before and mind boggles how anyone would not know the basic rules (I don't care what country you grew up in).

A runner is no more pedestrian than a cyclist going at same speed. This is not about rules, this is about my safety when I'm running and it is much safer to go round blind corner with the traffic rather than against.

If I'm running 10mph and traffic is going 30mph, against each other that's 40mph difference, with each other the difference is only 20mph.

meeeeh

axe2grind wrote: »

A runner is no more pedestrian than a cyclist going at same speed. This is not about rules, this is about my safety when I'm running and it is much safer to go round blind corner with the traffic rather than against.

If I'm running 10mph and traffic is going 30mph, against each other that's 40mph difference, with each other the difference is only 20mph.

Blind corner maybe but everywhere else you are way more vulnerable on the wrong side of the road. Cyclists can be just as slow but are also more visible. And even at that I would think anyone running on tight roads with blind corners is a bit suicidal and personally I wouldn't do it. The car might be in the wrong but the runner/pedestrian will be scrapped of the road.

Butterbeans

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I see this all the time around here, in fairness I only know about it from spending time in the country as a kid where footpaths were non existent. Otherwise I doubt I'd know to run on the side of oncoming traffic. I could be wrong but I don't think I've ever seen this on a road safety add.

My mother would have drilled into us "stick to the right and you'll never go wrong" as children with regards to walking / running on the road. Not sure if that was a slogan from some safety campaign in the 80's or what.

RacoonQueen

ThisRegard wrote: »

I wouldn't agree with that, 99.9% of the time I receive ample space from motorists.

I find most drivers extremely courteous to me as a runner - a lot more so than as a pedestrian or cyclist They'll let you cross when they're turning etc - they'd rarely do that as a walked and certainly would never give a cyclist right of way

ooter

I'm very fortunate to have the phoenix park on my doorstep, I have to say that running on the road has never once crossed my mind, never mind which side of the road I should run on.

DubOnHoliday

When you're running on roads with no path, you must switch to defensive mode. Where I would have previously stuck to the right side of the road for everything.... it is true that taking sharp bends facing traffic is not the best option. I am at all times thinking I want the next driver to see me as easily, as early as possible. Though tell that to the guy I passed running in the middle of a secondary road last night, with no reflective gear, no lights, dark grey hoodie, on a road where the cars fly up and down, mental.

EC1000

I live and run in the sticks - there isn't a footpath within 5 miles of my house. I always stick to the right but when meeting cars I usually step up onto the verge to avoid becoming road kill - that said I wouldn't meet too many cars on my usual routes. Running on the wrong side of the road is not smart imho. If you are on a road with blind bends and no hard shoulder, you might want to re-think your running route rather than run on the left.... pedestrians rarely come out on top in a collision.

ThisRegard

EC1000 wrote: »

If you are on a road with blind bends and no hard shoulder, you might want to re-think your running route rather than run on the left.... pedestrians rarely come out on top in a collision.

It's not very feasible though in real life, I don't know of anywhere rural that has a road which has a perfect circle allowing someone to start and finish at their door without encountering a right turning bend.

Sunny Dayz

Near where I live there's an old main road, which has since been bypassed by a motorway. It's good enough for running on with hard shoulders. But the amount of people I've seen out on that road either on the wrong side or dressed head to toe in dark clothes. The speed limit is 100kmph and there are many driving in excess of that, you really are putting yourself at risk by not making sure you can see and are seen.


Only last week when I was driving the road did I meet a fella coming out jogging from a side road with the flow of traffic dress all in black running gear just before 6pm. Contrast that to a group I met while I was driving the same road Saturday morning, I spotted them well ahead coming towards me all with hi vis jackets or very bright running tops - you couldn't miss them.

BeepBeep67

Nothing much to add here, but in my own experience, if I'm on back roads:

1) I leave the headphones at home, you need all your senses and I wear bright clothing
2) Generally I run facing the traffic, but do cross over on blind bends, where I have the option
3) I take an aggressive position on the road, maybe 1m from the verge, I find cars take less risks and on gentle bends I'm seen sooner also like to feel I've somewhere to move to
4) I try to look at the driver, do they see me, sometimes I'll wave my outside arm to make sure they have, I've hopped onto the verge before when someone was changing the radio station or something

Bug bearer, vehicles that don't indicate, you're more at risk from the 2nd or 3rd one

meeeeh

ThisRegard wrote: »

It's not very feasible though in real life, I don't know of anywhere rural that has a road which has a perfect circle allowing someone to start and finish at their door without encountering a right turning bend.

You don't need perfect circle, just bends that have some visibility. Where I live there are couple of turns where I would not want to run or cycle with kids. I prefer to run on terrain which is a bit harder on joints but much safer.

EC1000

ThisRegard wrote: »

It's not very feasible though in real life, I don't know of anywhere rural that has a road which has a perfect circle allowing someone to start and finish at their door without encountering a right turning bend.

I don't see how that relates to my post

ThisRegard

EC1000 wrote: »

I don't see how that relates to my post

Because you said you might need to rethink your running route if there's a blind bend. That's simply not possible, nor necessary, for everyone.

Spirogyra

Does walking help much with running? does it contribute much towards weekly mileage targets? I run only about 18-20 miles a week but walk maybe 15 miles as well. Does this help much do you think?

It's better than being idle on rest day's I'm sure, but how much better I'm not sure.

BeepBeep67

Spirogyra wrote: »

Does walking help much with running? does it contribute much towards weekly mileage targets? I run only about 18-20 miles a week but walk maybe 15 miles as well. Does this help much do you think?

It's better than being idle on rest day's I'm sure, but how much better I'm not sure.

What side of the road are you walking on?

DubOnHoliday

Spirogyra wrote: »

Does walking help much with running? does it contribute much towards weekly mileage targets? I run only about 18-20 miles a week but walk maybe 15 miles as well. Does this help much do you think?

It's better than being idle on rest day's I'm sure, but how much better I'm not sure.

Depends on which side of the road?

JustAThought

Not much hope for a quick recovery if you are mashed by a truck or 4X4 out running/walking - but you will get more help with your life in the insurance payout (assuming your survive) to buy a motorised wheelchair or adapt yiur bathroom if you were walking /running 'against the traffic' and with a light or (proper) reflective gear on. I drive up bendy country roads & it is insane how many stragglers run/walk in black clothing on the wrong side with no reflective gear. They show up as a blacker shadow in the dark. You'll get 50% extra by crossing the road - and a longer sentence for the driver. ; )

RayCun

Spirogyra wrote: »

Does walking help much with running? does it contribute much towards weekly mileage targets? I run only about 18-20 miles a week but walk maybe 15 miles as well. Does this help much do you think?

Doing some light exercise on the days you don't run is good for recovery. I wouldn't count it towards weekly mileage targets myself (or would have two targets, one for running and one for walking).

thesimpsons

whichever side you walk/run on, its the full dark clothing that gets me. what brain cells are people using to think that they'll be seen. fluorescent clothing or runners are everywhere these days so absolutely no excuse except being a gob with no respect to themselves or other traffic. even the good old fluorescent arm band they had in schools in the 70s will at least reflect some light and make a motorist see something. was in a group of 20 cyclists recently who came up behind a fully dark clothing runner recently - scared the bejeezus out of everyone and lucky not to have an accident.