Safety Gear For Runners

You’re finishing your final mile when a distracted driver rounds the bend. Do you have the proper running gear to prevent your morning jog from becoming a tragedy? In the first half of 2023 alone, 3,373 pedestrians were killed on US roadways.¹

That includes everyone on foot—from runners to hikers to walkers. To keep yourself safe while exercising outdoors, make sure you have essential runner’s safety gear. So what accessories do runners need? To answer that question, check out our guide to the best running safety devices. We’ve found the best medical ID bracelets, lights, and reflective gear for runners. Take a look to see how you can improve your safety while you’re running on the road.

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Now that you know about the best safety products for runners, you should freshen up on tips too.

• Don’t blast your music.
  Being able to hear your surroundings is important while you’re running. If your headphones are blasting, you won’t hear a car swerving toward you or someone sneaking up from behind. From 2004 to 2011, the amount of pedestrians seriously injured while wearing headphones went up 300%. Of those hurt, 70% were killed.² If you have to listen to music while you exercise, try keeping one earbud out, or keep volumes low enough so you can hear what’s happening around you.
  

• Tell someone where you’re going.
  No matter if you’re running around the neighborhood or on a mountain trail, you should tell someone where you’re going. If you don’t come back, they’ll know to alert the authorities or go looking for you. Whether you don’t come back because you sprained an ankle or something worse, you’ll want someone to know where you are so they can help.

• Wear safety devices.
  It takes an average person traveling 55 mph on a dry, sunny day 279.5 feet to come to a complete stop after seeing something in the road.³ Compound that with darkness, bad weather, or a distracted driver and it can take even longer. Since most reflective devices give you at least 300 feet of visibility, you can help drivers see you earlier to avoid a terrible accident. Make sure you wear some sort of reflective or light-up gear to keep yourself safer while running.
• Wear reflective clothing.
  If you’re running at night, don’t do it in all black. Instead, incorporate reflective pieces to complement your LED vests and other running safety gear. Choose bright colors that will easily be spotted in the headlights of cars. While less is more in some cases, it’s not when it comes to safety.

Running is a great activity that can blow off stress and help keep you healthy. Just make sure you do it with the proper safety gear. Reflective vests like the 247 Viz Reflective Running Vest and medical IDs like Road ID can alert drivers of your presence on the road and get you help if you ever need it.

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1. Adrian Nicholas, Governors Highway Safety Association, "New Projection: U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Jumped in First Half of 2021," April 2022. Accessed April 7, 2022.
2. Richard Lichenstein et al., National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information, "Headphone Use and Pedestrian Injury and Death in the United States: 2004-2011," October 2012. Accessed April 7, 2022.
3. Dale O. Ritzel, Southern Illinois University, "Stopping a Vehicle," September 2003. Accessed April 7, 2022.