On my commute home tonight I noticed a lot of runners wearing hi viz clothing. It got me thinking as to why? They run on the pavement and are not at any obvious/immediate risk from motor vehicles, I presume they don’t just get to a junction and run straight out, therefore negating the need to be extra highlighted to drivers.
Not a runner myself and just curious.

marketing

Cos we don’t wear lights 😉

To keep them safe from cyclists

it’s very annoying on shared paths when a runner is all in dark clothes and appears suddenly out of the dark

They are sick of being confused with Ninjas

So that car drivers can say sorry I didn’t see you after they have turned left at a junction without bothering to indicate

Even if you have only seen them on pavements, they might also run on roads. I do. Though I haven’t got any hi-vis yet – but I agree it seems to be the new fashion.

Peds are generally blind to us runners, that may be a reason

That’s a valid observation that they may have been previously running on a rural country lane previously and now on the pavement, but I commute through a city to the train station. Shared paths is a good point also. ie parks.
Reminds me of the time I was cycling through the park, saw the dog, saw the owner, didn’t notice the retractable lead though!!! That was a sore one for all involved. Maybe animal leads should be hi viz!!

There’s a general drift to wearing high viz in almost every situation now in the UK. Its almost unstoppable.

Cars coming out of driveways is quite a risk. More chance of being seen, and therefore not being driven into when running in the dark.

Why do runners wear hi viz?

How long before a ‘I nearly hit/crashed into/tripped over/bumped into a runner who wasn’t wearing any hi viz’ thread appears

please don’t feed the troll

A lot of roads don’t have pavements, especially the lanes with less traffic and less pollution that are more inviting to run down.

If you’re running along well lit streets they’re not really needed.
On unlit or poorly lit roads, especially without pavements, they offer unparalleled protection against nasty super-villains

I wear a head torch as well!!!!

There’s a general drift to wearing high viz in almost every situation now in the UK. Its almost unstoppable.

I think this mostly. Seems people can’t step out their house these days without donning a high viz vest.

I know this thread isn’t about cycling, but this seems to be cycling in the uk…

And this is cycling in holland…

Which looks more accessible and fun?

but this seems to be cycling in the uk…

It’s a bunch of young kids under adult supervision, presumably to learn road skills, hardly typical ‘cycling in the uk’

And cycling wearing flipflops doesn’t appeal to me btw.

It’s compulsory at my running club training nights. (In winter)

I do tend to anyway, because even if I’m not running on roads I am crossing them, it costs me nothing to wear it (i’ve picked up enough free hi vis tops from races that i don’t need to buy any more) and it may help one day.

Fashion

mr blobby, which of your pictures shows the most cars?

What I want to know is why aren’t they wearing helmets or have a bell on a velcro band on their wrist?

I don’t wear hi-bis when running, I always wear black because it makes me look slimmer

Not me.
Full on Ninja for me.
I only run early mornings though, about 5am.
Not many folk about at that time of the day.

Perception innit? Coz it’s safe.

Just like why in that there America they all drive 4x4s ‘coz they’re safe…

Because they’d look silly wearing a helmet?

I run, never wore hi-viz though!
If however I was in the habit of running on roads or on unlit streets I probably would. Common sense and all that jazz.
Some running gear is just generally brightly coloured though, as opposed to actual proper hi-viz. 😀

I live in the country. Almost all the runners (and there are plenty) wear hi-viz when they run on the lanes at night. It’s absolutely bloody useless! How come none of the manufacturers of these vests have worked out that reflective stuff is what you need at night and that hi-viz is more use than a white shirt?

i buy my kit based on functionality and value. if its pink, green, orange or black matters not a jot. often its green.

Thing is, if you run on a quiet rural road at night you know there’s a car coming for miles before it gets to you. Plenty of time to jump in the hedge or onto the verge if needed.

Plenty of time to jump in the hedge or onto the verge if needed.

I always find that jumping into a hedge is a lot more desirable than wearing clothing which makes you easy to see.

I think you answered your own question in the first sentence of your post.

On my commute home tonight I noticed a lot of runners wearing hi viz clothing.

Maybe the ones he didn’t notice are lying in a crumpled heap slowly bleeding to death?

My running club is encouraging hi-vis now. They didn’t ten years ago.
I guess it’s partly fashion but probably also driven by a general perception that driving skills are on a pretty steep downward trend so you need to do something to give yourself a chance of survival!

I live in the country. Almost all the runners (and there are plenty) wear hi-viz when they run on the lanes at night. It’s absolutely bloody useless! How come none of the manufacturers of these vests have worked out that reflective stuff is what you need at night and that hi-viz is more use than a white shirt?

Spot on!!

When I am running at night it is my responsibility to stay out of the way of vehicles when crossing roads, not the vehicle drivers to avoid me when I run into their path. For those that run on country lanes, reflectivity is the way, not hi-viz. Oh, and I recommend seeking off road routes.

I’m afraid its just a result of the world we now live in.Everybody wants to be seen.

Our club do a lot of night runs from 7pm all year round everyone wears hiviz and most wear some form of lighting .We run round town and quite often in the road as the pavements are full of bins, trees and parked cars and have a worse surface than our much maligned roads

When I am running at night it is my responsibility to stay out of the way of vehicles when crossing roads

its the vehicles turning into carparks, drives, officeblocks, eateries petrol stations etc especially coming from behind that gets me – I like to think that a bit of high viz means they will see me before turning and yes I do look when it is obvious but it isn’t always

live in city now so no country lanes but used reflective bands and one of those red flashers on my arm for night time and getting to off road stuff

not complacent I know it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing if I get hit but I like to think giving drivers an early opportunity to spot you makes their driving behaviour more predictable

as a driver I appreciate running clubs using high viz / reflective at night especially large groups on narrow pavements with cars parked on them means I see them early and keep an eye out for possible moves into the traffic stream

I wish more would, or would wear a light of some sort. Our local running club use the road and pavement randomly. Some are lit some aren’t, but I find a reflective band that’s moving far easier to see.

Locally unlit or totally dressed in black runners using roads and lanes at night are causing much complaint.