To think not being able to drive short distances for exercise is daft.

[Superdooper29]

Live in a semi rural area where there’s loads of people walking around making it hard to social distance. It’s not busy but everyone’s using the same pathways etc.

If I was to drive for about 4-5 minutes I’d find a lovely large remote spot to walk in. There’s miles of countryside where I live. Also 5 minutes from a very large beach which would be perfect to walk on with dc, particularly if the tides out. we would go early to completely avoid people. I have to pass the beach to go shopping. It was empty this morning.

I understand that we need to stay in the areas and I totally understand that cars could break down or you could have an accident putting strain on the already stretched emergency services. But I feel like driving a few miles to exercise not miles and miles away!

But this is what’s annoying me. Instead of driving to remote places. Some people I know who live near me are walking miles and miles to get to remote places and be beaches. often along main roads which people are still using to get to work and to shop therefore seems more dangerous to walk. A pedestrian could get hit. Also parents cycling on the main roads with kids when they aren’t used it and people walking across farms etc, across land without permission, touching gates etc. People could be bit by something, have a fall etc whilst walking miles and miles. Risking having no signal here too. I passed a family of cyclists today. They really weren’t road savvy at all! I was careful but the kids looked seriously unstable driving along the main road.

Aibu to think it’s safer to bloody drive rather than walking for 5 miles for hours?! Or just stay in your area?!

Maybe I’m just a little frustrated because I’ve only left the place I live once in 4 weeks!

"we are very happy that it's been given the green light by the government."

It hasn't

The police were turning people away from my local beach that had driven more than 2 miles to get there.

1) It was leaked as opposed to published

Hardly, it’s freely and publicly available on the police college website. Anyone can read it.

Peoples views on whether it should or shouldn’t be allowed aren’t really relevant.

The law says you can. The police guidelines say you can.

So do it sensibly.

@thedancingbear

And that's fine if you want to do what you think is more sensible. It doesn't mean that you are right and the guidance given is wrong.

Have you thought about you doing what you think is sensible and, ideally, leave others to read the guidance and make up their own mind.

Seeing as the official guidance definitely states it is, using their words 'likely to be reasonable' and doesn't add but it's really not reasonable because @thedancingbear says so and clearly they know better.

Do you mean it was leaked before publication circusintown? If so, what difference does that make?

You can drive short distances for exercise. For example, you can drive 20 minutes for an hour's walk. I'd much prefer it if people could and did, because them they won't clog the streets near me when I want to go for a run.

However, it seems like Devon police still haven't got the memo. My mum told me of two incidents today - two ladies who live in the same household walking along the river near their house told to go home "because at their age they should be indoors" (early 70s, and completely rubbish) and another incident where someone drove about 10 minutes to take her dogs for a walk. The policeman concerned grudgingly said it was probably ok but it was on the absolute limit of what was acceptable.

You can drive short distances for exercise. For example, you can drive 20 minutes for an hour's walk. I'd much prefer it if people could and did, because them they won't clog the streets near me when I want to go for a run.

Exactly. It's about doing what's best for everyone, including each of our mental health. It's not some weird exercise in puritanism or virtue signalling.

However, it seems like Devon police still haven't got the memo. My mum told me of two incidents today - two ladies who live in the same household walking along the river near their house told to go home "because at their age they should be indoors" (early 70s, and completely rubbish) and another incident where someone drove about 10 minutes to take her dogs for a walk. The policeman concerned grudgingly said it was probably ok but it was on the absolute limit of what was acceptable.

Fucking hell, they love pushing people around don't they. Weren't so keen to get involved when I rang to tell them there were burglars rooting round my downstairs at 3am.

I live by the sea. The first couple of weekends of the lockdown we were swamped in our little town by people driving in, using the beaches, etc. We residents couldn't take our own exercise safely because of feckin' out-of-towners driving here.

The 3rd weekend, the police had to set up a roadblock and turn people round.

Speaking for other towns and villages that tend to attract tourists: we don't want you here.

"we are very happy that it's been given the green light by the government."

It hasn't

Honestly! ARe you saying that we aren't allowed to drive to exercise or is it my use of green light that's your problem?

Ok maybe green light was the wrong phrase, but why are some people so nitpicky. We are all following the guidelines in our family (apart from our elderly parents) - exercising once a day, not going to shops unless we have to, not seeing family or friends, but some things you need to judge for yourself. What is better? a) walk from home along narrow streets in a city centre b) drive 5 minutes to edge of city centre where it is much quieter and SAFER. IF the quiet areas got busier we wouldn't use them. The guidelines say that you CAN drive to exercise. We live in a tourist spot. We aren't driving to one.

Competitive misery seems to be the rule with some round here. It's tedious.

Ah, looking at other posts I can see that engaging with circus was pointless. Competitive misery and lock down police combined.

I think a short drive is fine. Depending on where you live you may need to drive further than others. Driving an hour to go to a beach when there are closer walks would be too much as far as I'm concerned but naturally people who live in cities might need to drive out occasionally to get some fresh air.

What if you have an accident?

The new advice is much more sensible

What if you have an accident?

What if you spontaneously combust?

You’re allowed in England. Not in Wales. No idea about Scotland.

We know this is going on for a very minimum of 6 weeks, probably a good while longer. For people to be able to cope with that it needs to be proportionate and reasonable, the new guidance brings a bit of that back.

If it's a 5 minute drive then you can walk there as part of your exercise, just time it for a time when people are less likely to be out and about

I just checked, we have a local beauty spot near us with a small carpark (carpark currently locked). It takes 27mins to walk to it but 3mins to drive to it. Being able to drive 3 mins at 30mph gives us multiple choices of walks, walking gives us the option of 1 circular walk. So it driving means we can all spread out more.

What if you spontaneously combust?

Only on Mumsnet

What if you have an accident?

What if you have an accident at home or fall and break your ankle doing a circular walk from home?

What if you have an accident at home or fall and break your ankle doing a circular walk from home

Surely it’s about reducing your risk?

Thanks for this. I assume you must be an virologist or epidemiologist to know better than the experts who have crafted the rules.

Go out for a drive and walk then. I'm not stopping you.

But it's how viruses work, and this one has mutated rapidly beyond what the scientists can cope with, there's now possibly a new strain that affects your stomach, not your lungs and you'd never know you have it. No one knows anything really about this virus other than it spreads quickly.

And considering everyone is having to be told to wash their hands regularly, and clearly still aren't doing it with cases increasing, I don't fancy my chances going anywhere I don't have to. But by all means, go ahead. It's your choice.

and this one has mutated rapidly beyond what the scientists can cope with

This is bollocks: see www.drugs.com/medical-answers/coronavirus-mutate-3535321/ and www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/The-science-of-coronavirus-how-fast-it-15135782.php.

In any event, mutations usually make viruses less dangerous, not more. Think of how genetic mutations affect people and animals (ie. generally pretty badly). This is real life, not the X-Men.

No one knows anything really about this virus other than it spreads quickly.

This is bollocks. See for example en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus_disease_2019 including the references to 300-odd peer-reviewed scientific papers. We don't know enough to stop it in its tracks, or treat it, but we will over time. There will be effective treatments and vaccines in time.

It's a scary illness and a scary time, but suggesting it's some kind of rapidly-evolving alien entity, as opposed to a really nasty iteration of something that has already existed in nature for centuries, doesn't help at all.