Wintertime safety tips from the city for walkers, joggers and bicyclists
During the winter with its shorter days, there is less available daylight for people to indulge in all of their typical outdoor activities, such as walking or jogging.
If you usually walk or exercise early in the morning, in the late afternoon or at night, the Mountain Brook Police Department says it is very important that you wear reflective clothing and/or carry a flashlight or a flashing light. You can also request a blue flashing armband from the department, supplies permitting.
Reflective gear and/or a flashing light gives the runner a better sense of awareness and gives drivers a better view of him or her.
It is not enough to just wear bright clothing. Reflective outerwear is designed to reflect in the driver’s eye as he approaches you.
On cold nights, don’t make the mistake of wearing your reflective vest under your jacket or sweatshirt. An alternative to protective clothing should be reflective tape or bands that you can put on several parts of your body. The more body you cover with reflective material, the safer you will be.
Alabama law requires pedestrians to use a sidewalk “where a sidewalk is provided and its use is practicable.” When a sidewalk is not available, either because there is not a sidewalk or because using an existing sidewalk is not practical, pedestrians are to walk or run on the left side of the street and yield the right-of-way to vehicles in the roadway. Always walk facing traffic.
In addition, Mountain Brook city ordinance requires individuals that walk, jog or run in city streets during the hours of 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., wear either reflective clothing between the waist and shoulders on the front and back with a coverage of at least 50 square inches or strobe-style continuously flashing lights at least two inches in diameter between the waist and shoulders that are visible from the front and back.
When bicycling at night, make sure you have working lights on both the front and back of your bike. The light on the front should be solid white. There should be a blinking light on the back, allowing better visibility to cars and for recognition that you are a cyclist. Also don’t forget your helmet. It is just as important to wear a helmet as it is to make sure you have reflective tape on your helmet while night riding.
SPEAKING OF SAFETY
Alabama Power Company maintains nearly 400 street lights in the streets and alleys of Mountain Brook. However, they do not regularly check for street lights that are out of service. If you see a street light that is out, please report it to the city manager’s office at 205-802-3800 or gastons@mtnbrook.org so the city can coordinate its repair with the utility.
CITY INFORMATION VIA TEXT
If you need information from the city, you can now skip the telephone call and use your cellphone to text a request.
Text the word “Hi” or one of these phrases — permits, leap pickup, report, business license, FAQ, pothole, online payments or signs — to 205-596-6200. Text My Gov will help you find the answers you are looking for or report your issue to the city.
You can also opt in to receive alerts from the city via text messages. To sign up, text “MOUNTAINBROOK” to 91896.
– The information in this report was provided by the city of Mountain Brook.