Daylight? What Daylight?

Whenever daylight saving time rolls around every year, I dread it. And it's not just because I lose an hour of sleep. As someone who walks in the mornings before work, I hate this time of year, because it means that just when it's gotten to the point where it's light for at least some, if not a good portion, of my walk, I go back to walking almost completely in the dark. And because DST started even earlier this year, it's dark almost until it's time for me to leave for work.

So what to do? Well, it serves as a timely (pun only partially intended) reminder to pay attention to safety while I walk. In particular, I try to be more deliberate about choosing light colored clothing to wear when I'm out on the streets and sidewalks. I also walk defensively, meaning that I generally assume that drivers can't or don't see me. I get off the road as I see drivers approaching when it's possible, and hug the shoulder when it's not. Plus I use sidewalks where they're available. A couple of other things to consider are wearing reflective gear and/or a light. And I'm reminded that it's probably about time for me to buy some ID to carry with me, just in case something should happen to me while I'm walking. For safety gear, my favorite site these days is www.RoadID.com.

If you're looking for some more ideas of ways you can stay safe while you walk, please visit my Walking Safety page. And be careful out there!