While I don’t claim to be any kind of expert on running or safety I want to share with you some of my tips to being safe while running on the roads.

First, and I feel the most important, PLEASE run in the opposing direction of traffic. I see it every day, someone running in the direction of cars and if you’ve driven the roads here in Pennsylvania you know they can tend to be narrow. I take this so far as to even run opposing traffic when there are sidewalks, it’s kind of become second nature for me.

When you run in the same direction as traffic you are putting a hell of a lot of trust that those drivers are paying attention to the road. With so many distractions in the car these days it’s easy for drivers to quickly find themselves on the shoulder (where you are running) and you’ll never see them coming to be able to get out of their way.

Here’s a little nugget of information from the NHTSA and while they don’t break this down by the type of pedestrian we do know that roughly 69,000 pedestrians are injured each year with about 4,500 of those being fatalities.

Do you still run the risk of being struck by a car while running in the opposing direction of traffic? Probably, I know I’ve had a few near misses, but your odds are better if you can see the car coming and take evasive action.

Try not to blend in with your surroundings. Wear bright colors that will be easily spotted and if you run in the dark, wear a light or at the very least something highly reflective. Just because you see the car doesn’t mean the car sees you.

Next, if you’re like me and you NEED music to run (or you’ve got the GPS in your ear), leave one of those ear buds out. Also, don’t blast those tunes.

It’s easy to get in the zone when you’ve got the music cranked and you’re enjoying a beautiful run, but zoning out could prove to be dangerous. Along with seeing cars that pass you by you should be able to hear them too. Another reason to leave one of those ear buds out is to hear someone or something that might be out to cause you harm. Hearing a dog running up on you could save you a trip to the ER.

A few months back I read an article about a woman being attacked and nearly killed while running and from that day on I started leaving one of my ears free to hear my surroundings. Just because you live in a safe area doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you. There are areas of the country that are actually seeing an upswing in attacks on women runners, Arlington Virginia being one of them. If you prefer to run alone (like me), take steps to protect yourself.

Basically, the message I’m trying to convey here is to stay alert while you’re running on the roads. Please, try to always be aware of your surroundings.

What is your favorite part about hitting the road for a run?

A few years ago we bought Cameron a Graco Nautilus with the thought that it got great safety ratings and it would be the last seat we would ever need to buy him since it’s a 3 in 1.

Fast forward to now, Logan needs a new seat. The obvious choice was to buy another Nautilus and call it a day. Then I gave it a little more thought and decided to just get Cameron a booster seat and move Logan into Cameron’s old Nautilus. I’d save a few bucks in the deal and I still wouldn’t have to buy another car seat.

I’ve always been serious about car seat safety and have gotten top rated (and often expensive) car seats for the boys as they grew up.

Cameron will be six on Thursday and is well within the height and weight range for a booster seat. Hell, most of his friends are already in boosters and have been for a while. Cameron is still sporting the five point harness and will be for the foreseeable future.

A few years ago I remember hearing a tragic story of a little boy who was killed in a crash because he slid under the seatbelt. He was in a booster seat and was the right height, weight and age to be in one. His parent’s had done nothing wrong and yet he was still gone.

The take away for me was to keep the boys in the five point harness as long as the seat would hold them. Why rush the milestone when it can have such serious effects? The Nautilus can be used with the harness up to 65 pounds, and Cameron is only about 45. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should be in a forward facing seat with a harness until they reach the maximum height or weight for the seat and that’s what I plan to do even if it embarrasses them.

We had even gone so far as to buy a new booster seat for Cameron and he was so excited to sit in it. Less than 24 hours later I returned it and bought another Nautilus. I just couldn’t do it. The likelihood of us getting into a serious crash while he is actually in the car with me is pretty slim, but I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to him. So I erred on the side of caution. Perhaps another gross overreaction, but I don’t care.

He was upset at first but I taught him how to buckle and unbuckle himself so he feels like a big boy. It was a compromise I could live with.

If you’re a parent trying to sort through the millions of car seats out there, I would HIGHLY recommend the Graco Nautilus. Buy it when your little munchkin turns two and have it until they’re ready to sit on the car’s seat. The price is right too, you don’t have to break the bank for a safe, comfortable seat for your kids.

The boys showing off their super cool car seats.

Disclaimer: I was NOT compensated for this post in any way. I found a product I love and wanted to share it with you.