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Think Safety: Stay safe during outdoor activities
Summer is here, and the parks and trails in and around Durham offer a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the nice weather. While the American Tobacco Trail provides a beautiful setting to walk, bike or run, it's important to keep a few safety tips in mind to ensure your activities remain fun and enjoyable. Most of the tips are common sense - trusting you instincts and exercising on the trail with a partner. Durham Parks and Recreation's main office also has safety whistles available free of charge for trail users.
Here are some things to consider.
Summer is here, and the parks and trails in and around Durham offer a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the nice weather. While the American Tobacco Trail provides a beautiful setting to walk, bike or run, it's important to keep a few safety tips in mind to ensure your activities remain fun and enjoyable. Most of the tips are common sense - trusting you instincts and exercising on the trail with a partner. Durham Parks and Recreation's main office also has safety whistles available free of charge for trail users.
Here are some things to consider.
- Always plan your outing. Tell someone where you are going and when you will return. Let your friends and family know your exercise route.
- Know where telephones are in the area or carry a cellular telephone or small warning devise.
- Wear an identification tag or driver's license. If you don't have a place to carry your ID, write your name, phone number and medical alert information on paper and place it on your person or on your bicycle.
- Don't wear jewelry or carry cash.
- Wear reflective material.
- Stay alert at all times. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.
- Run or walk with a partner or a dog.
- Don't wear headsets. If you wear them you won't hear an approaching person. Listen to your surroundings.
- Know your surroundings -- nearest streets, phones, houses, and businesses.
- Vary your route. Try not to take the same route on a daily basis.
- Avoid unpopulated areas and overgrown trails.
- Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
- Trust your intuition about a person or an area. React based on that intuition and avoid areas you feel unsure about.
- If you think you are being followed, head for an open business or a lighted house.
- Call police immediately if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of ordinary.
- Make sure people can see you: Think about where you are going and how well lit it may or may not be. Also, going out at dusk or at night is dangerous. Dawn and dusk offer convenient shadows for muggers and other crooks.
- Be aware of park and trail opening and closing times - they're there to help keep you safe.
- Keep Alert!