For a large portion of the year, it’s dark when I drive to work at the cats-only boarding facility. I usually take a back road, rather than the highway — less traffic, nice scenery, a better ride all around.
This particular road has very little in the way of shoulders — and no sidewalks — for bikers and walkers. Two mornings in a row, I’ve encountered someone who didn’t take safety seriously.
One was on a bike, riding down the middle of the road. Thankfully, I saw the bike’s reflectors and knew something was in my path… but didn’t make out that it was a person on a bike until I was pretty close. Still, it seems like pretty risky behavior to ride your bike before dawn wearing dark clothes and not using hand signals when you’re turning!
I’ve also seen plenty of walkers who don’t bother wearing light colors or reflective clothing — the most recent being this morning. I’m all for exercise, but that particular road has to be a scary one for walkers. The shoulder is very narrow and you can’t walk in the grass because there’s a ditch most of the way. So you’re pretty much right there in the street.
If it were me walking, I’d be wearing neon colors and flashing lights to help drivers see me! (I’d also walk against traffic, rather than with — I think it helps improve visibility.)
Of course, if I were going to walk before dawn, I’d probably choose a different road. One with a wider shoulder, or one with a sidewalk (or both). I wouldn’t want my morning exercise to turn into a morning emergency! And I do think it’s the walker or biker’s responsibility to make sure they are visible… and take other safety precautions (like wearing a helmet if you’re biking or carrying a cell phone so you can call for help if you need to).
Because let’s face it… nothing can ruin your day quite like getting hit by a car!