Two runners, one in a neon yellow tank top and one wearing a light-up harness, run along a lit bridge walkway at night, with more runners and streetlights behind them
Editor’s pick Fitness

Walking and Running in the Dark: Safety Tips Backed by Crash Data

  • Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, so many after-work walks and runs will now end at dusk or in the dark.
  • NHTSA counts runners as pedestrians. Of the 7,080 pedestrians killed in U.S. traffic crashes in 2024, 76% died in the dark, and in fall the most common time was 6 to 8:59 p.m. (29%).
  • Drivers recognize you much later than you think. In closed-road studies, reflective markings on the ankles, knees and wrists ("biomotion") were recognized sooner than a reflective vest alone. Fluorescent colors help by day, not at night.
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