Safety Tips for Walking at Night

Many Americans enjoy walking for regular exercise or leisure, and many others walk to and from work and school every day. When people walk at night, there are different rules for nighttime walking they should follow to avoid injuries and accidents, as there are several additional risks to walking at night. If you or a loved one regularly walks in the evening hours, keep the following safety tips in mind.

If your walking route takes you anywhere near where vehicles are traveling, you need to make sure drivers can see you. Wear clothing with reflective patterns or add reflective tape to your walking outfit so passing drivers can spot you more easily. If possible, stick to well-lit walking routes and sidewalks and avoid dark or poorly lit areas. This is especially true in metropolitan areas with higher rates of muggings and other violent crimes. Attackers generally wait in dark and hard-to-see areas for unwary victims to pass.

You should wear comfortable shoes if you plan to walk a significant distance or walk for exercise. If you work in an office building and walk home every night, keep your sneakers with you to change into before you head home. If a walking path takes you away from streetlights or through darkened paths, you may want to keep a small flashlight or headlamp with you. A headlamp is especially useful because it will provide a great light source while keeping your hands free. While it’s also a good idea to let someone know when and where you will be walking, you should limit cell phone use while walking at night to keep your hands free. Cell phones are distracting and could give a criminal an easy means of catching you by surprise, or it could lead to an injury from a slip and fall.

If possible, always walk with a partner or in a group. If you’re walking alone, stick to paths with other walkers. Drivers generally do not expect to encounter many pedestrians at night, especially outside of large urban areas, so use extra caution if you need to cross a street. Avoid alleys and other less-traveled paths. If you notice something out of the ordinary on your usual route, or you suspect that someone with ill intent is following you, try to adjust your route back toward more populated or well-lit areas to deter any potential attacks.

It’s a good rule of thumb to remember that if something doesn’t feel right to you, it probably isn’t. If you feel uncomfortable or you have an instinctual feeling that someone nearby may try to harm you, adjust your route and head toward the safest place nearby. For example, if you are walking at night and think someone is following you, you could enter a café or restaurant for a few minutes until you feel that it’s safe to continue on your way.

Walkers who live in urban areas or any other places with high crime rates may also want to consider self-defense options. Many non-lethal self-defense devices are available, including whistles, pepper spray, and mace. Some states allow licensed firearms owners to carry concealed handguns, and a personal firearm is one of the best ways to dissuade a would-be attacker from attempting to victimize you. The decision to purchase and carry a firearm is a personal choice, so do some research about the gun laws in your state if you believe a firearm would be a reasonable precaution for walking in your area.

Many people enjoy walking at night to exercise before bed while others simply work late and find walking home to be the most efficient commute. No matter why you walk at night, keep these tips in mind to limit your risk of injury or victimization.

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