WALKING ON A HIGHWAY IS NOT SAFE ! While walking is the best exercise, where you walk is also extremely important. Impaired and distracted drivers are by far the greatest danger when walking on the highways.

BREATHING CARBON MONOXIDE that comes from the exhaust of the cars and trucks can not be very good for your health either. In my book Miles From Home I talk a little bit about the hazards of walking on the highways. It seems there was always obstacles of some kind.

As I walked along the side of the road there was an abundant amount of nails and screws. I stepped on several I didn’t see and had to pick them out of my shoes, luckily they did not go through into my foot. It’s amazing to me that we don’t see more flat tires on the roadways.

Often times I would step on an object or a large rock and it would turn my ankle a little before I would catch myself to keep from falling. It would give me an adrenaline rush that would last for several minutes. Speaking of adrenaline rush’s, I’m walking along and just happen to be looking up and see a wheel come off a trailer hauling a dozer and it’s coming right at me. I had time to get out of the way, but it would have taken me out. How lucky was I ?

When people buy new tires they need to be balanced and they use little pieces of lead and pound them on the rim of the wheel. Occasionally they fly off when the vehicle is going very fast. I had one fly past me and I thought someone was shooting at me, It sounded like a bullet. Again how lucky was I.

The berms of the road are almost always uneven and it puts a lot of stress on your feet, ankles, knees and legs. Sometimes it’s that way for miles and can develop blisters. In some areas the county does not have the funds to keep the weeds mowed and that makes walking on the berm almost impossible. When a vehicles comes you have to stop walking and get off in the weeds It makes for a tough day.

PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVERS ARE THE BEST: I found truck drivers to be very professional and courteous. However when they go by at 65 mph they sandblast you. A truck creates a lot of wind and it pulls the sand and grime off of the road and when it hits you it stings.

I realized that my presence on the highway was also a distraction.

So, please find a safe place to walk and keep active.