Runners on country lanes

[mjr]

Are they worried about cars deliberately mounting the pavement?

Probably. An awful lot of motorists do seem to treat all the tarmac as theirs all theirs, based on the tyre tracks I see on roadside pavements and cycle tracks. I think it's often to nudge around waiting-to-turn-right traffic, like this chap I actually saw:

I don't know if up-kerb driving is usually deliberate recklessness like that nobber, or if they've approached too fast and it's an easy way to avoid shunting the back of the queue.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Anyone else see people running on the pavement wearing lights (sometimes several)? What is the need to wear a light if you're going to run on the pavement? Are they worried about cars deliberately mounting the pavement?

Cars kill over 100 people a year by driving into them whilst on pavements.

 

[Starchivore]

Cars kill over 100 people a year by driving into them whilst on pavements.

Yes but does pedestrians wearing flashing lights at night time really make them safer from this?

 

[snorri]

Light is good, but reflectives are better. Especially for walkers and runners I find.

The Highway Code appears to favour reflectives for walkers and doesn't mention lights, or runners!.

 

[Tin Pot]

I understand that on spotting a runner in the road, that cycling at them screaming "Get out of the road!" Is the appropriate protocol.

I run in the roads day and night, no flashing lights or hi viz.

If I were to run on an unlit country road at night, I'd carry a torch just like a pedestrian might.

 

[John the Monkey]

Anyone else see people running on the pavement wearing lights (sometimes several)? What is the need to wear a light if you're going to run on the pavement? Are they worried about cars deliberately mounting the pavement?

The local council here have taken to leaving ~50% of our streetlights unlit. There's some nasty dark patches as a result, and I've considered getting a head torch for my evening 5ks specifically to illuminate those stretches.

There's an unlit lane that forms part of my daytime 10k (and summer time 5k) but no way would I run it after dark - motorists pay little enough attention to the idea that anything other than cars could be on there when those things/people/livestock are clearly visible.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Isn't that illegal?

Only if it's attached to a vehicle. As far as I'm aware, there's no rules on what colour lights you can stick to a person

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Anyone else see people running on the pavement wearing lights (sometimes several)? What is the need to wear a light if you're going to run on the pavement? Are they worried about cars deliberately mounting the pavement?

Maybe part of their route has no pavements?

 

[DRHysted]

I understand that on spotting a runner in the road, that cycling at them screaming "Get out of the road!" Is the appropriate protocol.

I once had a cyclist shout out "coming through" just before flying past me on a shared path. Thankfully I jumped on the left hand verge, if I'd jumped right it wouldn't have been a pretty sight.

 

[mjr]

Cars kill over 100 people a year by driving into them whilst on pavements.

I had no idea that self-driving cars were already that deadly!

 

[ColinJ]

The local council here have taken to leaving ~50% of our streetlights unlit. There's some nasty dark patches as a result, and I've considered getting a head torch for my evening 5ks specifically to illuminate those stretches.

There's an unlit lane that forms part of my daytime 10k (and summer time 5k) but no way would I run it after dark - motorists pay little enough attention to the idea that anything other than cars could be on there when those things/people/livestock are clearly visible.

I don't normally do much riding after dark but I have been for the past few evenings because I am trying to hit my distance target for the year and was way behind. I have a brightish front light but it is really only a 'be seen by' light rather than a 'see by' one. I was quite shocked to discover how many street lights have been turned off - pretty much every one that was not in a village or at a junction was off. If I make a habit of night riding then I am going to have to invest in a better front light!

 

[huggy]

Nearly wiped out a runner on the club ride at the weekend. We were 2 up and the road was fairly narrow but wide enough for on coming cars to pass. Our shouts probably shocked him more than our presence. The runner was facing oncoming traffic but we met him on a left hand bend (for us). I was always taught to move to the outside of tight bends when walking or running on roads.

 

[greekonabike]

I don't really have issues with runners but I've yet to see a horse rider act in (what I would consider) an appropriate manner around either runners or cyclists. I tend to come across several horse riders a day on the lanes near my home and I'm sure the majority of the time it's the same riders as they simply can't control their horses around me. If I'm approaching a horse travelling in the same direction I'll slow down, ring the bell a few times and then say what side I'm coming through on as they tend to ride in the middle of the road.

Cue the horse going all over the place and me stopping whilst the rider manages to control it. I'd hate to think what would happen if she met an impatient driver.

GOAB

 

[snorri]

I was always taught to move to the outside of tight bends when walking or running on roads.

I've never heard that one, and would normally only cross the road when the verge width was insufficiently wide to give me a safe refuge in an emergency.

 

[ColinJ]

I've yet to see a horse rider act in (what I would consider) an appropriate manner around either runners or cyclists. I tend to come across several horse riders a day on the lanes near my home and I'm sure the majority of the time it's the same riders as they simply can't control their horses around me. If I'm approaching a horse travelling in the same direction I'll slow down, ring the bell a few times and then say what side I'm coming through on as they tend to ride in the middle of the road.

Cue the horse going all over the place and me stopping whilst the rider manages to control it. I'd hate to think what would happen if she met an impatient driver.

I have seen horses freak out a couple of times round here, but things generally seem quite relaxed. I have cycled past 3 women on horses in the last couple of days. The women were smiling and the horses were calm.