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2023 PRE-MEET NOTES
Another study, comparing auditory perception in cyclists with
two earbuds, one earbud and no headphones, found that an
auditory stop signal that was heard in subjects with no head-
phones and one earbud, was not heard by many of the cy-
clists with two earbuds. Despite a small sample size of cyclists
with one earbud, this may suggest an alternative solution to
listen to music while running without risking safety.
Cross roads at crosswalks and intersections, when avail-
able. If not, cross at a well-lit location. According to the
National Highway Trac Safety Administration’s FARS, at least
73 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 2017 occurred in loca-
tions other than intersections. One study, assessing pedestri-
an-injury severity in motor vehicle crashes, found a decreased
risk of fatal injury at trac signals. This, they suggest, may
be due to vehicles moving at slower speeds at intersections
when compared to speeds at midblock roads and better
“right of way” knowledge between motorists and pedestrians
at trac signals.
Avoid running when it is dark. If it is dark, wear bright,
reective materials and/or use a ashlight or head lamp.
The National Highway Trac Safety Administration identi-
ed 75 percent of 2017 pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark
lighting conditions. Studies have found that, in comparison to
daylight, dark lighting conditions increased the risk of motor
vehicle crashes involving pedestrians. This risk is heightened
during inclement weather. While any bright, reective clothing
may increase pedestrian visibility at night, one study identied
that reective material attached to the limbs of pedestrians,
including wrists, ankles, and major joints, increased driver’s
recognition distances of the pedestrians by 60-80 percent
compared to reective material surrounding the torso.
Although the denition of darkness diers between studies,
these studies tend to identify darkness as non-daylight hours,
including dusk and dawn.
Follow the rules of the road. A study of illegal pedestrian
road crossings set in Australia observed walking patterns
against signalized intersections. Illegal pedestrian road cross-
ings were dened as entering the intersection against the pe-
destrian trac signal (both blinking and steady) and crossing
the road away from, but within 20 meters of, the intersection.
It was determined that pedestrians who crossed illegally at or
near an intersection were at a risk of motor vehicle collision
around eight times greater than pedestrians who crossed
legally.
Avoid running along eastbound roads at sunrise or along
westbound roads at sunset. An investigation of crashes in
relationship to high sun glare times found that, when com-
pared to expected crash values, crashes were more prevalent
during sunrise on eastbound roads and during sunset on
westbound roads with sun glare. Additionally, higher trac
volumes during these times increased the crash risk further.
These ndings were more substantial in the early spring, fall,
and winter seasons.
References
1. Adapted by permission from BMJ Publishing Group Limited. Naumann
RB, Kuhlberg J, Sandt L, et al. Integrating complex systems science
into road safety research and practice, Part 2: applying systems tools
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2020;26:424-431.
2. National Federation of State High School Associations. (2019, Aug.
28). 2018-19 High School Athletics Participation Survey. Retrieved from
https://www.nfhs.org/media/1020412/2018-19_participation_survey.pdf.
3. Pedestrian Safety. National Highway Trac Safety Administration website.
Accessed September 15, 2020. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/
pedestrian-safety.
4. RRCA General Running Safety Tips. Road Runners Club of America
website. Accessed September 15, 2020. https://www.rrca.org/education/
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6, 2020. https://www.safekids. org/tip/pedestrian-safety-tips.
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safety: How talking on the phone, texting, and listening to music impact
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model. Accident Analysis & Prevention 2010;42(6):1751-1758.
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pedestrian, and environmental characteristics and resulting pedestrian
injury. Trac Injury Prevention 2019;20(5):510-514.
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