Safety Tips for Night Walking/Jogging

Recently a neighbor was jogging in the early evening dark when she noticed that a man on a bike was lingering at cross streets to see which way she’d turn and then he’d turn the same way, riding next to her or a bit ahead.  Nothing came of it, but it was an uncomfortable situation.  We asked our Crime Prevention Coordinator, Diane Horswill, for advice.

– Take your cell phone with you when walking around at night, or even a small air horn if you’re in a remote area.

–  If you feel uncomfortable about a situation, get to an occupied house or business as soon as possible.  The longer the following goes on, the stronger the person feels, knowing you are feeling uncomfortable.

– Call 911 as soon as you can with as good a description of the person as possible.  Even if nothing happened, the person may have gone further another time that the police know about.

Then of course there are generic safety tips for walking/jogging at night:

– Choose a well lit route.

– Wear a reflective vest or other reflective gear.

– Wear white, yellor or orange clothes.

– Carry ID.

– If you can’t go out with a buddy, let someone know what route you’re taking and how long you’ll be out.

– Follow your instincts if you feel uncomfortable and move to a different area.

– Leave your music at home so you can hear what’s going on around you.

– If not on a sidewalk, walk or jog in the road on the side facing the traffic, NOT with the traffic.

Our neighborhood is pretty safe, but it behooves us all to be careful out there!