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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Going for a drive

141 replies

Glovesick · 09/04/2020 14:44

I have seen someone got fined for going for a drive to break the boredom.

I know it's not essential travel but I don't really get why it is banned. As long as you don't get out, there is no risk of infection.

Suppose that would be difficult to police and also small risk of accidents would divert emergency services.

On the other hand, it is low risk and people's mental health is also important.

Views?

OP posts:
Spodge · 09/04/2020 18:31

Cars have to be driven every now and then. So if you are lucky enough to get delivery slots and not have to drive to the shops you still need to keep the car in good order in case of need.

yatapina · 09/04/2020 19:20

@Spodge those who are in full isolation for 12 weeks also have cars that need driven but they aren't able to go for a drive either.

The rules apply to everyone.

Original poster
Glovesick · 09/04/2020 21:32

If driving is deemed risky enough to ban it, then so should cycling be banned which is much more high risk.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cycle-safety-laws-new-kim-briggs-death-warning-against-witch-hunt-a7960291.html

My thread was more about eliciting the reasons for the ban, not questioning whether it is banned or whether the rules should be followed. Of course they should be followed and as many have said, a leisure drive is not essential within the definition of the ban.

We all know there are idiot drivers and a*holes not abiding by the lockdown.

If a say 30 min drive 2 times a week helped someone with severe MH problems and prevented a suicide, would that not be essential for that person? If it could somehow be certified?

Just curious about people's views, I am not advocating it should be one way or another.

OP posts:
Fifthtimelucky · 09/04/2020 23:50

But driving is not banned, and nor is cycling, because they may be necessary to enable people to the things they are allowed to do: work, go to the supermarket, attend medical appointments etc.

The point is that the only people the road should be those who are out for one of the acceptable reasons. Just going for a drive is not an acceptable reason. Just going for a cycle is fine, because it provides exercise.

I'm not a mental health expert but I'd have thought it would be very difficult to prove that someone's mental health could only be safeguarded by allowing them to make unnecessary journeys by car.

wonderstuff · 10/04/2020 00:03

But in the article you linked it clearly states that the cyclists were killed by drivers. Cycling is only dangerous because of cars. Which further adds to the argument for restrictions on driving rather than cycling. Mainly because cycling has a health benefit, even if you factor in the risk of being hit by a car the benefit of the exercise outweighs the risk of not exercising. One in 6 premature deaths in the UK are linked to lack of exercise.

Original poster
Glovesick · 10/04/2020 00:14

Good point @wonderstaff

OP posts:
catfeets · 10/04/2020 00:18

@ChibiTotoro maybe you should give my local force a call then and get them breaking up parties. I've reported my neighbour every day since lockdown and no one has been round and had a word. I know I'm not the only one reporting the idiot, yet she gets away with it.
It's a real shame she hasn't caught Coronavirus yet as people like her need to learn the hard way. She's the first to complain about others not abiding by the rules, yet they don't appear to apply to her.

What makes you think I don't know crime is still happening? I never said anything like that in my post Hmm

Katinski · 10/04/2020 00:26

My male neighbour, whose workplace has closed down for the duration, divides his day into 3 - first off he goes for a drive in his open top car, I suspect to blow the scurf out of his hair, obviously he's never heard of Head & Shoulders - then he comes back and sunbathes and snoozes on his terrace, and finally he goes for a bike ride. Wearing lycra. He's 55. Wearing lycra. What a charmer.

whydobirds · 10/04/2020 00:36

I love driving and often do it simply for pleasure but really wouldn't be doing that at the moment. Even if the mental health exception could be applied to going for a drive, the roads are really not much fun at the moment. I have to drive an 11 mile round trip every day (livestock in field, sole use so nobody else to feed and water them, no self filling troughs, one needs a specialist feed daily to mitigate against gastric pain, so daily is absolutely essential) and consistently have people glued to my bumper and trying to harass me faster in the 30mph zone or flying past me on the 50mph dual carriageway.
I'm spending as little time as I can on the roads at the moment tbh.

MerryDeath · 10/04/2020 00:46

i haven't been for a drive per se but i have been to a slightly further away food shop to enjoy the drive, and also because they are doing drive through and i've got 2 under 3 in tow. but i would also go for a drive if the situation called for it.. eg if the baby was NOT napping and getting himself in a state. i'll take my chances.

Crafting1Queen · 10/04/2020 01:05
Biscuit
whydobirds · 10/04/2020 01:11

Who's the biscuit for?

Original poster
Glovesick · 10/04/2020 01:13

In Belgium you can go for a drive with a child under 5 to soothe them

OP posts:
FormerlyFrikadela01 · 10/04/2020 01:22

I'd love to take my 3 year old out for a drive. He loves going to the windmills near us and to see the sheep and cows in the fields. But we cant so walking a few times round the block of our boring suburban estate will have to do.

I wont lie though, I did set off to work (nhs nurse) a tad bit earlier today and drove the long way round. Less for the drive and more so that I could be alone for the first time in 3 weeks.

Arthursblanket · 10/04/2020 01:36

@britnay my child was in hospital with severe croup recently and was raced to hospital, who saved his life. If we had needed an ambulance right now, during this crisis, my toddler would have died because they are too busy

whydobirds · 10/04/2020 02:03

The issue is that what definitively is and isn't allowed is really not clear. The line between what is law and what is guidance is blurred. According to Dorset police website there's nothing in the legislation prohibiting going for a drive (there isn't specifically, the law just says you can't leave your house without 'reasonable excuse' and the guidance gives non-exhaustive examples of reasonable excuse) but they say its not advisable. Which it isn't. Other forces are apparently issuing fines. There seems to be little consistency. The oversimplification of the legislation into 4 reasons for leaving the house doesn't help either as many people don't realise that there are several more reasons for leaving the house that are deemed reasonable by government guidelines: fulfilment of legal duties such as if you have to see a solicitor or attend court, movement of children between houses of separated parents, care of animals especially if you're sole carer, moving house if unavoidable, for medical need other than medical attention or medicine (such as if you have a child with SEN who needs to get out more than once a day, even if you need to drive to get there), or attending a funeral are all allowable and most of those can't be shoehorned into the 4 main reasons...going to feed my animals is not exercise, for example. Many others are seeing the 4 reasons as licence to go out even if they don't really need to. And lots of things that are being treated as law are only guidelines. Even the going out once a day is guidance only (except in Wales, it's law there). It's all just a bit of a mess.
Be easier if instead of the guidance saying 'you can only leave your home for one of 4 reasons' then having about 4 supplementary documents with numerous other acceptable reasons, they just said 'only go out if your journey is so absolutely necessary that in normal times you'd attempt it with two broken legs and the galloping shits'. Or something.

whydobirds · 10/04/2020 02:19

(Disclaimer, wouldn't actually go food shopping with the galloping shits. Also wouldn't try to drive with two broken legs)
I wish this was over though. I've not seen my lovely bloke for the best part of 3 weeks so far, and have no idea when I can see him again. I won't even think about going over to see him or having him come to me. We would probably get away with it from a police point of view. But he's relatively high risk and l'd rather take the hit of potentially not seeing him for 3 months or more than pass on this virus unwittingly and potentially then never seeing him again.
I do think though that most people are trying their best in a pretty shit situation, and that people asking questions about what they're allowed to do aren't necessarily looking for loopholes but rather seeking clarification in order that they don't inadvertently break the rules. It's uncharted waters for all of us.

Norma27 · 10/04/2020 05:19

One pp said they have driving for 30 years without an accident.
My stepdad had been crossing roads for 60 plus years without getting knocked down and killed. Until one day he was knocked down and killed.

joystir59 · 10/04/2020 05:34

We have to go for regular 80 mile round trips so that OH can attend oncology appts such as chemo, scans, blood tests, blood transfusions. Its wonderful in these lockdown days because the roads are quiet. Quick easy journeys. So please stay at home rather than 'going for a drive'

eaglejulesk · 10/04/2020 05:59

Did I read recently that New Zealand and now Australia are almost out of lockdown because they were strict. In the case of New Zealand the infection rates are low?

NZ is just over half-way through lockdown and there are no plans to abandon it yet. It will be announced on April 20th what the next step will be.

To answer your post OP. If you go for a drive that means everyone can go for a drive - do you not see that that defeats the purpose of a lockdown, even if they don't travel far? How could there be "a small risk of accidents" if everyone was on the roads?

Bobleywobley · 10/04/2020 06:13

Omg I don't get why people don't get it!! "Why can't I just do this or that ......". Seriously?? I'm losing faith in people rapidly!!

NewPapaGuinea · 10/04/2020 06:24

If everyone decided to go for a drive the roads would be packed. JUST STAY AT HOME.

CheshireDing · 10/04/2020 06:53

YABU OP

I would love to go for a drive but as others have said
What if someone crashes into you
What if you break down
What if petrol starts to needing to be rationed for essential workers (and runs out a lot quicker because people have been getting petrol because they’re bored)
It risks other people, not just the driver

I did laugh when I read a pp who said a passenger got fined because they were our without good reason 😂😂

NZ has said their lockdown restrictions may be eased a little over the next week or so. They have only had 1 death because they closed borders very early on and have very tight controls.

MarieG10 · 10/04/2020 07:00

@lunar1

What the fuck is the problem on MN, there are rules, follow them. There is no need for the desperate search for loopholes.

Because unfortunately the government issued advice which in no way was backed up by legislation. Hence the police tried enforcing guidance and put themselves in an invidious position of trying to enforce laws that don't exist...the result of which is if arresting a person, it is u lawful as well as being unable to issue penalty tickets although plenty tried. Once police force had to return to court after someone was convicted of an offence to admit that in fact they defendant should not have been prosecuted as it was erroneous in law!!

Typical of (understandably) poorly drafted legislation which was not scrutinise as David Davis rightly pointed out as it runs to 300 pages!

However, the advice is sensible and yes I agree, why can't people follow it? Well like with any laws there are people that refuse to be bound by the sensible rules of society and if the rules are not bound in legislation then don't ask the police to enforce something that isn't an offence!!!

Fifthtimelucky · 10/04/2020 07:11

@whydobirds is absolutely right.

But I think makes sense for the guidance to be a simple message with 4 permitted reasons for going out, because it means that most of us will remember it.

It also makes sense for the list of permitted reasons for leaving the house to be non exhaustive, because there will always be situations that come up that no one thought of.

And what is reasonable for one person in one set of circumstances may not be reasonable for someone else in other circumstances.

That does mean that there is room some confusion and different interpretation but surely that's the way with most laws. The courts have the job of deciding whether or not something is reasonable.