With the nicer spring weather, more and more people are starting to enjoy being outdoors. But with an increased outdoor activity, comes a need for heightened safety awareness.

Jefferson Police Chief Mark Clouse says motorists need to be to aware of people walking and running throughout town, along with bicyclists and those on skateboards. As far as pedestrians that choose to walk or run when it’s dark outside, he urges those individuals to wear reflective items or blinking lights so that motorists can tell where you are. Clouse points out the necessity for those on bicycles to obey all traffic laws.

“I think a lot of misconception in bicyclists, ‘That stop sign doesn’t count for me, I’m on a bicycle.’ Well it does, it does count for you. You need to obey every traffic law the same as if you’re driving a vehicle. If you’re on a bicycle and you’re not stopping at stop signs, the odds of you being hurt by a vehicle are going to increase terribly.”

As for skateboarders, Clouse reminds those individuals to adhere to areas where skateboarding is not allowed such as the Greene County Community Center or the Greene County Courthouse grounds. He describes one area of town where skateboards are always allowed.

“We do have a skateboard park out on East Lincoln Way, across from the fairgrounds there. There’s a nice, big concrete parking lot there as well. That would be a great, safe, alternative for skateboarding.”

Finally, Clouse urges everyone to be more aware of motorcycles. He encourages motorists to always check blind spots because motorcycles can be in those areas and aren’t as easily seen on the road.