Safety on Linn County Trails

As many of you following the local news have heard, a body was found along the Cedar River Trail recently (see the KCRG news story). It's not clear at this point what the circumstances were surrounding this unfortunate occurrence, but in any case it is an opportunity for us to consider again the issues of trail safety.

LCTA has published a trail safety video (and it is recommended that everyone check it out) but this video focuses on "operational" trail safety, not so much on personal safety while using the trail. I think some personal safety tips would be an appropriate addition to the website. With that in mind, I'm opening this up to comments -- let's have a discussion about personal trail safety. What are the key things to keep in mind? Can we prevent situations like those described today in the news? How can we work to ensure that the trail system is considered a "safe" place for recreation and transportation?