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Runners and walkers in dark clothing make it difficult for drivers in the Pacific Northwest

On our long, dark, rainy winters in the Pacific Northwest, hard-to-see walkers and runners with no illumination or reflection pose a challenge for drivers.

PORTLAND, Ore. — We're 12 days into the new year and consider this: we've just crossed the threshold of nine hours of daylight. The sun rose Thursday at 7:48 a.m. and it's scheduled to set at 4:49 p.m. That means most of you who resolved to get fit this year are probably walking and running in the dark. And of course it's January, so it's likely also raining.

The problem, is that most of our cold, wet-weather running gear is dark, in many cases all black.

Viewer Seth Buchwalter reached out with this message: "It drives me crazy. I almost hit one of my neighbors who was wearing all black, back to the headlights, walking his dog in the street."

Another viewer chimed in: "Why do grown adults think it’s a good idea to run down the middle of the street, in the dark, wearing black from head to toe?"

Credit: KGW

Before we go too far down that road, the Portland Bureau of Transportation had this to say: "Sounds like victim blaming to me," said PBOT spokesperson Dylan Rivera in an email. "Most pedestrian fatalities happen when the pedestrian is crossing the street legally."

The city spends millions on its Vision Zero campaign, educating drivers on safety with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths. Stopping for pedestrians is the law, seen on page 37 of the Oregon Driver's Manual.

Sarah Iannarone from Street Trust added: "We need to look out for each other and make sure that every single street user gets home to their family at the end of the day."

Roads are shared spaces and to that end, Buchwalter, who reached out with this complaint to begin with, is actually doing something about it. He's a sales rep and also the coach for the run club of the sportswear company ON in the Pearl, which meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Northwest 11th Avenue and Marshall Street.

"I decided when we do run club, we make sure everyone’s very safe. We make sure everyone is well lit and reflective as much as possible, so they are very safe when they're out here," Buchwalter said.

I do the Driving Me Crazy feature as a generally — but not always — lighthearted take on things that drive people nuts on area roadways. Most of us can relate, and most of these topics are your ideas. What drives you crazy? Post your videos and pictures on my Facebook page, on Twitter, or if you're just anti-social you can email me cmcginness@kgw.com.

VIDEO PLAYLIST: Driving Me Crazy

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