Don't be a Distracted Pedestrian

An article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported an older man went for a walk in New Hampshire and ended up in North Carolina. During the walk, he fell down a ravine, was knocked out and when he woke, he didn’t know who he was or where he lived. 

He was able to dredge from memory that he had a daughter who lived in Asheville, N.C., and that he walked 1,000 miles to get there, and serendipitously was in a McDonald’s when he heard his daughter talking.

He had gone for a walk, left a note that he would be back at 10:30 a.m., and he was missing for two full weeks.

The push for more exercise goes hand-in-hand with the new “war on obesity,” but people need to be smart when and where they walk. 

• Exercise with a buddy: It is easier to find a reason not to go if routine involves exercising alone.
• Inform someone of your planned route and expected time of return.
• Carry identification when walking or jogging alone.
• Carry a cell phone with ICE (in case of emergency) numbers listed while walking or jogging. Law enforcement and fire officers are trained to check cell phones for ICE, ICE 1, ICE 2, etc.  However, the numbers have to be entered in the phone before an incident. 
• If driving to an exercise location, lock valuables (wallet, purse, laptop, iPad, GPS) in the trunk of the car before leaving your house: Putting anything in the trunk at your destination offers temptation for a criminal to break in if he saw the item being stowed. Covering items with a towel in the floorboard is an open invitation to break into the car to find out what is hidden
• Look around while walking or running. Look at the ground in front of you, in the distance, at the dogs playing in an open field, at the people loitering between or in cars
• Be aware of your surroundings: Listening to loud music, talking on the phone or texting reduce the ability to notice dangerous or suspicious behavior, and increase the chance of injury due to missed footing.  “Distracted pedestrian” injury increased 4.2 percent last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Keep music at a low enough level that outside noises can be heard, and so you can hear when a friendly person greets you.
• Look around your car before returning to it. Search underneath, on the windshield and back window, and between the cars. If you see suspicious behavior from someone near your car, return to the building or ask someone you know to accompany you to your car.

We don’t have to be afraid to live our lives, but we do need to be cautious and aware. People who are confidently aware of their surroundings are poor targets for crime and experience less injury.