RRCA's Runners Safety Tips

1. Don't wear headsets. Use your ears to be aware of your surroundings.
2. Carry change for a phone-call or carry a small cell phone.
3. Run with a partner. Run with a dog.
4. Write down or leave word of the direction of your run. Tell friends and family of your favorite running routes.
5. Run in familiar areas. In unfamiliar areas contact a local RRCA club or running store. Know where telephones are, or open businesses or stores. Alter or vary your route pattern.
6. Always stay alert. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.
7. Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid unlit areas at night. Run clear of parked cars or buses.
8. Carry identification or write your name, phone number, and blood type on the inside sole of your running shoe. Include any medical information. Don't wear jewelry.
9. Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
10. Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles.
11. Wear reflective material if you must run before dawn or after dark.
12. Use your intuition about a person or an area. React on your intuitions and avoid if you're unsure.
13. Practice memorizing license tags or identifying characteristics of strangers.
14. Carry a noisemaker and/or OC (pepper) spray. Get training in self-defense and the use of pepper spray.
15. Call police immediately if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary.