There are times when even I, the Sun Chronicle running guy, can lose my patience with runners. It takes a lot to exceed my level of tolerance but there are times when runners act with such carelessness and disregard for common sense that I need to speak out.

It's morning drive time last month and I'm cruising down Gilbert St. in Norton. It's a typical mild, mid-May weekday morning and my mood is languid, conforming with the weather. That would quickly vanish.

Ahead were two young women runners and I was jolted out of my reverie by what I saw. Like those cartoon puzzles of my youth where you try to pick out the flaws in the picture, I counted three cardinal rules of safe running being violated.

To start, they're running with traffic, trusting that the vehicles behind them are not in a rush to get to work or can handle the coffee in one hand and doughnut in the other. They were also running side-by-side on that narrow road, creating a traffic hazard and forcing cars to move into the other lane to go around them. Finally, there were wearing headphones. Not only can't they see cars bearing down on them, they can't hear them either. Imperious, impervious and immature are the only words that fit that scene.

Runners need to think safety first these days and annoying drivers of large vehicles is not the way to do it. Ten years ago I didn't know any runner who had been hit by a car but I do now.

It's a more dangerous world out there and the principal reason is that drivers are more distracted than ever before. Piloting the vehicle now seems to have moved down the list of priorities with cell phone use now a major concern for runners. It's frightening to observe drivers having animated conversations while making control of their car an ancillary task.

Whenever I run a well-traveled road now, I try to keep my head up, peering directly at the driver. This serves a dual purpose. First I want to see what they are doing, so I can react if necessary, if possible to any errant moves. It also allows me to make eye contact so that the driver knows that I'm on alert and am watching what their doing. How effective is that? Glare and tinted windshields make this a hit-or-miss activity but at least I know that I'm being proactive in regard to my personal safety.

Not only are drivers more distracted, most can't relate to us.

Whenever I'm driving and I see a runner, there's an instant bond. I can empathize with them. I know what they're experiencing because of the weather, terrain, time of day, etc. In fact, I envy them at that moment because it makes me want to get out there with them. However, with two thirds of the nation overweight or obese, can we expect the same reaction? We all have experienced the hostility of passing cars spewing invective at us.

Here's another radical idea. I have almost reached the point where I feel that it is safer to run at night, on roads that have a modicum of traffic, than during the day. Ludicrous as it may sound, it's not far fetched at all. When I run at night, I have reflective patches on my running shoes. All running shoes have these now. I also have an array of clothing with reflective material; shirts, shorts and outerwear. My favorite winter running jacket is bright yellow with reflective piping. In addition I also run with flashing lights like my friend Don Jackson does.

"I have a front blinker, back blinker and headlight blinker," he said. "747's have landed on Rte. 140 confusing me with the approach lights at Logan!"

All these pyrotechnics makes one stand out, gets a driver's attention and perhaps makes us more visible at night than during the day where we may blend into the background.

Runners also must do their part by not putting themselves at risk with foolish behavior. I still remember a Saturday morning a few years ago traveling south on Rte. 152 in North Attleboro. Coming towards me were three women, running abreast, taking up almost the entire lane of that busy road. What were they thinking?

We need to keep our house in order, follow the rules of the road and don't go out of our way to antagonize drivers. What about the Norton young women? Maybe this article will find its way into their hands and perhaps imperious, impervious and immature will be replaced by aware, alert and accommodating.

Footnotes

On a trip to the Philly suburbs last month, I saw something that I hadn't seen before - a lawn sign advertising a road race, the June 1 King of Prussia 10 Mile; during the course of a Saturday, I saw four lawn signs for two different races in various towns along the Philadelphia Main Line; wanted to pass this along to our local race directors, who may want to utilize another marketing tool.

ROB ROSE is a running correspondent for The Sun Chronicle and can be reached via e-mail at LSXPLRER@comcast.net