PREPARE TO BE SAFE ON THE ROAD

The gift of safety: blinking and strobing heel lights. Taken by PKSenagore December 14, 2016. All rights reserved.

SAFETY FIRST! DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME (DST) WILL END NEXT MONTH. THE CLOCKS WILL BE TURNED BACK AN HOUR in the United States on the first Sunday, November 5, 2017 at 2:00am local DST to 1:00am Standard Time. The change will mean that the sun sets with darkness following about an hour earlier than the previous day.
 
For those who work from roughly 8 or 9am to 5 or 6pm it will mean traveling home in twilight or near dark conditions when visibility is decreased.  Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians will need to be more aware of each other while on the road and use more caution. 
 
Runners and walkers who enjoy evening or after work exercise will be wise to retrieve reflective and blinking light safety aids that were stored in the brightening months of spring and summer.  Or try some of the new products on the market. Some are featured on the GEAR LOVE page.
 
 Of course, those who get out in the morning will enjoy an hour of additional light.  But that ‘gift’ is time-limited, as the total amount of available daylight will progressively shorten until later in December.
 
Running.competitor.com issued an article by Ashley Lauretta, “This Rule of Good Running Can Help Save Your Life”.  It advises runners/walkers on the safest practice when using the shoulder of the road.  It’s simple, and many may already know it, but sometimes we get lazy.  The article explains how dangerous not paying attention to this detail can be.  You’ll need to read the article though, as we don’t want to steal Lauretta’s thunder.   The rule should absolutely be followed in darkness, and it’s a safe bet in daytime and on bad weather days as well.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
NOTE: Time changes (from standard to daylight saving and back) were introduced in the United States in 1918, to save fuel during World War I. In the United Kingdom, the changing began in 1916, and DST is referred to as British Summer Time. UK clocks ‘fall back’ on the last Sunday in October, which this year will be on the 29th. Not all the countries of the world observe the practice. The Wikipedia item about DST has a chart that describes some interesting periods in the UK, when there was “Double” Summer Time, Year-round Summer Time, and Two-Stage Double Summer Time
 
http://running.competitor.com/2017/10/news/road-running-rule-save-life_168718
 
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-time-change-fall-back-20171001-story.html
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Summer_Time
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_by_country