Dear Drivers…..

Dear Drivers,

I’m writing this on behalf of all pedestrians and cyclist out there. We need our voices heard and I’m here to tell you what we all think as you pass us without care. Yes, that’s right I said “without care” because as you are driving you pay such little attention to us. But, we are there on the roads with you. We have places to go, families we love and need you to be better drivers. Not just for the other drivers and your passengers but for us as well.

You see, each time I run or bike I have the same problem. Actually two very big problems. One, you pull into intersections beyond the crosswalks. Do you know what those are? They are the striped lines on the road where pedestrians cross. When you are pulling to the very edge of the road you are not allowing yourself to be able to look for runners or walkers coming to the intersection. Because while you may have to wait to pull into traffic we could be crossing in front of you. However, you don’t look and therefor pose a risk to us.

Second and the worst is not moving over when passing us. This is most dangerous to cyclist. Your speed when driving so close can cause us to be blown over. Yes, that little extra space prevents this from happening. Also, runners on the road should be (and normally are) coming at you in the opposite direction. Please give them space. Nothing is scarier than having to quickly leap to the grass to avoid being hit by a car who couldn’t move over a couple of feet.

Finally, GET OFF YOUR PHONES!!!!!!!!! The amount of drivers still texting and talking on phones is just unacceptable. Teach your kids, too. Teen drivers are the worst offenders.

As runners and cyclist we can do everything right and follow our road rules but if you don’t do your part we can’t be safe. Personally, I run opposite traffic, wear bright or reflective clothing, don’t use headphones, stop and look at intersections yet every time I run on the road I am nearly hit by a car doing one of those two things and more often than not the driver has their phone in their hand.

So, let’s work together to make to roads safe for everyone. As runners and cyclist we will do our part so you the driver can easily see us and predict our movements and you do your part by looking for us in crosswalks and moving over when passing.

Thank you for listening,

A runner and sometimes cyclist