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Jogging on roads is safe, very safe in fact, providing that a jogger or runner employs common sense and understands the protocol for venturing out onto the roadways. What may appear to be a risky proposition is in actuality a very safe and enjoyable experience, one that I have participated in for some 28 consecutive years "running."

Comparing jogging on roads to other outdoor activities illustrates this fact. For example, in 2004, the New Zealand Safety Council looked at injury rates, per 1,000 participants, from June 2001 to July 2002. The ratio for jogging was 0.17, while such activities as cycling (0.46), golf (0.39) motor sports (2.40), skiing (4.22) and soccer (7.25) were significantly higher. Activities generally considered much safer, such as fishing (0.12) and swimming (0.13), were statistically very close.

To further prove this theory, let's analyze this intriguing question by a) determining the major potential hazards, b) listing the safeguards for each, and c) including other statistical data, remembering that common sense remains your best defense:

Potential hazard: Getting struck by an automobile.
Unless being confronted by a drunk or a malicious driver, this should never happen, although we do hear about this rare occurrence on occasion.

Safeguards:
- Run on the opposite side of the road, against traffic, giving both the runner and the driver the ability to see each other. The only exception to this rule would be when approaching a sharp, blind curve, in which case there is the possibility that neither the runner nor the driver will notice each other, resulting in a potentially fatal accident.
- Run on wide roads and on roads with shoulders, staying away from the center of the roadways whenever possible.
- If you must run at night, run with reflective clothing, and/or a flashlight, so that you will be noticed. It's the same rationale behind the outlandish attire that cyclists wear today. They are not necessarily trying to make a fashion statement!
- Although it is popular and desirable for many, never run with an I-Pod, radio or headphones, as you will be distracted and unable to hear vehicles and pedestrians in your path.
- Pay attention, especially when approaching intersections. Running is an activity which is conducive to thinking, reflecting, meditating and even daydreaming, but the world doesn't stop rotating simply because you are "in a zone."

Statistical Data: According to an eight year study from Rhode Island,

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