No matter when you walk or where you walk, you should be able to walk safely. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about safety when it comes to walking, but we don’t live in a perfect world. So let’s focus on safety issues that you need to address when it comes to maintaining a regular walking program.
Think Defensively
When you are walking, especially outdoors, you need to think defensively. For example, the car always wins so you don’t challenge where the vehicle is or assume that every other person in a car or on a bike or on his or her skates is going to respect your space, so you need to be defensive about that space. Never presume that they see you, never presume that they will brake for you if you are walking in the street.
With that in mind, you want to choose your walking paths in the safest locations whether it’s on a bike path, a brightly lit park or other areas where vehicles are not allowed. But safety is not just about where you walk, but also about whom you’re walking with. This is of real importance if you walk by yourself. Someone should always know the path you are planning on following and you should avoid walking alone when it’s late or dark – especially if you walk in a secluded area.
Walking At Night
If you do elect to walk at night, then you need to wear brightly colored clothing – specifically clothing that will reflect the light and let others see you. Recently, I was out driving and I saw someone walking along the side of the road and the only part of her that I could really see was this white stripe on her jacket – everything else on her was black.
You should also remember to vary your routes if you’re going to walk after dark. My mother used to walk the same path every morning at 3:30 a.m. on her way to work and this led to not one, but two muggings. This is bad and this is scary and luckily, she wasn’t hurt badly in either incident, but neither is worth repeating.
You should also avoid wearing headphones and music that can block out surrounding noises because they can mask the approach of others and leave you vulnerable. In many areas, especially heavily urban areas, you should restrict your after dark walking to populated places such as malls and gyms.
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