Florida Audi Encourages Drivers to Watch for Runners on the Road

Jun 8, 2013

Florida Audi wants drivers in the area to know that they might find more joggers using roadsides during the summer months. This can create a slight inconvenience for drivers who are in a hurry to reach their destinations. Try following this advice to keep runners safe and avoid legal battles that could find you at fault.

Give Runners Plenty of Room

Most runners don’t like using the road. They’d prefer a sidewalk, trail, or grassy field. During a long run, though, some people find that they have to move to the road. When they encounter broken glass, ditches, and other obstacles, they just don’t have a choice.

Keep this in mind when you see someone jogging on the side of the road. Chances are that they don’t want to be there. They’re probably moving as quickly as possible to get off the road and return to the sidewalk’s safety.

Knowing that can help you appreciate the person’s situation. That can lower the frustration and inconvenience that you feel while you wait.

Don’t Try to Pass Runners on a Curve or hill

It’s normal for drivers to pass runners whenever they can. As long as you have plenty of room to do so without clipping the jogger or hitting another car, it’s probably a good idea to pass.

Keep in mind, however, that it’s never a good idea to pass on a curve or a hill. You might feel safe because you drive your neighborhood’s streets frequently. That’s a false sense of security that could put someone in the hospital, or worse.

You never know what lies on the other side of a curve or hilltop, so exercise your patience and wait for a straightaway where you can pass safely instead of taking a big chance.

Don’t Try to Intimidate Runners

Immature drivers might think it’s funny to yell at runners on the side of the road. They might even pretend that they’re going to bump the runner.

This is never a good idea.

To put it bluntly, you don’t know who that jogger is. She could be a police officer, a lawyer, a judge, or a city council member. Those people have significant sway in the courtroom. If you pull a childish prank, all they have to do is remember your license plate number and file charges against you.

Even if those charges don’t stick, they can still make life miserable for a few months. Plus, it costs money to go to court. That jogger might use everything she has to teach immature drivers a lesson.