Road Rules: Pedestrians on roadways

Question: What are the rules regarding pedestrians walking on the roadway when there is an obstruction-free sidewalk available? Runners and joggers tend to prefer using the asphalt over the concrete sidewalks available on just about every street in my neighborhood. I have heard that some runners claim asphalt is more forgiving on their joints but I believe that is unsupported by any data that I could find.

Answer: I’m no running expert, so I took a look at a few studies to see if there was any validity to the claim that running on asphalt is better for your joints than running on concrete. The studies were inconclusive so I sought out the input of experienced runners. Advice ranged from “Concrete should be avoided like the plague,” to “The thickness of your socks has a greater cushioning effect than the difference in hardness between concrete and asphalt.” Again inconclusive.

But from the perspective of traffic safety, here’s my take: Any perceived benefit from running on a slightly more forgiving surface is offset if multi-ton vehicles you can’t outrun share the surface.

Yes, athletes have reason to be concerned about training injuries, but your most likely injury while running in the road is probably getting hit by a car.

If you’re a runner, you might be saying, “Yeah, but have you seen the sidewalks in my neighborhood?” I probably haven’t been to your neighborhood, but I’ve seen it in mine.

Next to my house, there’s a sidewalk lifted several inches by tree roots, causing a tripping hazard, right next to a smooth asphalt roadway. Sometimes we’re making a choice between two less-than-ideal options.

But the original question is about rules, and of the two choices I just mentioned, only one of them is legal. The Revised Code of Washington states that, “Where sidewalks are provided and are accessible, it is unlawful for any pedestrian to walk or otherwise move along and upon an adjacent roadway.”

Predictability reduces risk. Our traffic laws create (when we adhere to them) predictability on the road. Even seemingly minor laws, like the requirement to use a turn signal (yes, that’s a reminder to use your turn signal), all contribute to predictability and safety. As a pedestrian, you want to be visible to drivers, and part of that is being predictable.

We generally think about visibility in terms of wearing bright clothing, and that’s true. But there’s more to visibility than, “Can the driver see you?” There’s also the question of, “Does the driver expect to see you?” The world presents more visual data than we can take in.

If you’ve ever noticed something new on your commute, like maybe a prominent building got fresh paint, and when you mention it to a friend they say it happened two months ago, you know what I’m talking about.

Our brains have to be selective about the data they process, and that applies to our driving. You didn’t notice the painted building because you weren’t expecting it and your brain filtered it to focus on more important things.

Similarly, a driver is less likely to notice a pedestrian in a location where they don’t expect someone to be walking or running. We look for what we expect to see.

That’s not an excuse for drivers to ignore pedestrians; when you’re the biggest thing on the road, you have a responsibility to be, well, the most responsible. It’s more of a recognition that all of us, whether we’re drivers, walkers, runners or riders all contribute to traffic safety in our
communities.

Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.