General

Never exercise alone at night outdoors.

Exercise with a friend.

Avoid unpopulated areas, such as woods and deserted campuses.

Carry a personal safety device, such as a sound siren, mace or red pepper gas.

Stay away from public parks at night.

Safe Jogging

Pepper spray has limited effectiveness against an enraged and determined attacker. Retired Police Officer and author of Attack Proof, John Perkins, states that, in his personal experience, pepper spray has only worked about half the time, even when shot straight into the eyes at close range. Thus, it should be used in conjunction with a defensive strategy such as: spray and run, or spray, hit, and run.

Some commonsense tips for jogging safely:

• Never jog with headphones on; you jeopardize your awareness, making yourself a sitting duck.
• Stay away from unlit, thick shrubbery adjacent to trails and paths. Remain at least 10 feet away from the sides of buildings and parked cars as you round blind corners. This can provide the critical space you need to defend yourself against an ambush.
• Do not jog alone.
• Vary your jogging times and routes. Predictability aids a predator's planning.
• Wear a personal alarm that you can set off with one hand.
• If you believe at any time you're being followed by a vehicle as you're out jogging, turn around immediately and run in the opposite direction – preferably toward home or another secure area. Don't be assertive. Don't be coy. Just get out of there!