Can I drive 5 miles to walk in the woods?

[R2221]

Just that really. We’ve been isolating for over a week and these woods are the only thing that kept us sane. Isolated woods - not many people there. Those we came across were mindful of distance.

With the current lockdown rules, are we allowed to drive there?

Have you watched any of the footage from the Italian hospitals?

Imagine having a serious RTA and being hospitalised while there is a Coronavirus outbreak? You might have multiple injuries and then contract coronavirus. Will you be lying in your hospital bed thinking you were really glad you went for that walk? What do you think your chances of survival are?

I work in the NHS in a service that supports people who have suffered life changing events. Some of those people have been involved in car accidents and were in hospital for months on end. Some of them broke a few bones. Others have head injuries that means they can no longer work or function normally. I know for a fact it was hard enough for them to be in hospital under normal conditions. I dread to think what it would be like now.

The NT parks were closed because they were heaving, other areas aren’t and perfectly ok to use if only involve a short journey.

BBC says

"As of now, people must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities, daily exercise, any medical need and travelling to and from work where absolutely necessary"

Doesn't sound like a "loophole" to me.

Walking kids or walking dogs or both ...... stay local. It is tough for us all but everyone has made life choices and you just have to deal with the rules

So all the people out on walks this weekend, along the beaches, woods, mountains and other open spaces were not why we are now 24 hours later in lockdown.
Tomorrow night just you wait, all the selfish people poping out for exercise in the car , will leave Boris no choice except to ban us from going more than a 5 min walk from home.

This is what happens when everyone decides to drive "just 5 miles" to the nearest woods - makes it pretty hard to socially distance!

(The picture was taken by a resident of the village this beauty spot is within 5 minutes walking distance of)

Is it fine to go to a completely isolated place and have a walk?

Yes.

Is it find to swarm to famous Beach/arboretum/wildlife park/anything else busy, of fucking course not.

So glad I live in an isolated area

They were congregating. Congregating has been banned not taking your daily exercise in empty woods close to home.

No. It is a non essential journey. Cars on the road increase the likelihood of things happening that will need the emergency services. And they are a bit busy just now....

This

Its incredible how many people seem to think they can just hop in their car and drive where they want. That once inside the car bubble, the rules and fines do not apply to them.

If you are out on the streets, walking or in a car, for no good reason, then you will be fined. What part of this do people not understand ? Do they not know what a police road block is?

Some of us here will be old enough to remember the Yorkshire Ripper police road blocks. Police cars stopping and checking every car driver, on every major route in and out of towns and cities. "Where are you going?", and "what is the purpose of journey". Taking down details and often stopping the same care numerous times in one day, and so on

The telegraph...

"Parks will remain open for exercise and dog-walking purposes but keeping apart from other people is the main goal. Gatherings will be dispersed.

Walking dogs in quiet areas is unlikely to spread the virus. Robert Dingwall, a professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University and a government adviser on the social dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks, urged common sense, saying: "If you have a dog, take it out for walks – but don't stop to hang out with other dog walkers. If you usually walk down to the local convenience store, keep doing that – just pick a quiet time to do it."

I don't see how walking in deserted woods close to your house will spread the virus. I don't know why people are being so rude about it. This is the sort of question people will have about the rules.

I've been isolating for 6 weeks btw.

I never go to beauty spots, they’re always heaving. Walking in hidden woods does not automatically equal driving to the best known always popular beauty spot. They are poles apart.

We haven't been told to dash quickly around the block wherever we are and be back in 20 minutes.

I completely agree, but we have been told, explicitly, to stay at home.

I honestly think this comes down to letter vs spirit.

Common sense is amazing and I wish we could. But this country has proved common sense is in very short supply.

Pubs and restaurants must close but takeaway is allowed = I'll open my pub as a takeaway and tell people to bring their own chairs!

Exercise is allowed = I'll jump in my car and drive to the beach with my whole family for a day trip!

Communications are keyworkers = Well Sky is technically comms. Who cares that our call centre specifically deals with commercial sporting events (which have all been cancelled) we are comms so all staff must report to work. Put your kids in childcare or take unpaid leave.

These are all examples that have happened in the last week. And every time someone chooses the letter instead of the spirit (STAY HOME) the measures only get tighter.

...and that was at a time with no sophisticated camera systems and reg recognition

Lockdown is currently for a minimum of three weeks. If the country adheres to what they are being told then the sooner we will get ourselves out of this mess.

Jesus wept, I just despair at some people. You really have no idea.

It's going to be difficult to police, that's for sure. If you can't see into the boot of my car, taking the dog to the woods looks a lot like taking granny's shopping to her 6 miles away on the edge of the woods. Stop and search in case there's a Labrador secreted somewhere in the back?
Maybe.

You can exercise once a day. No one said you can't drive to a place and exercise.

I will walk my dogs. I will drive them somewhere so they can get a good walk and keep my distance from anyone I might see.

I don't see what matters if I walk my dog on my doorstep or drive then walk. No one except us will be in the car and I can't spread the virus through my car.

It is safer for me to drive further out if anything.

If I am told that I can not drive to find a place to exercise and it needs to be on my doorstep I will follow that advice. Until then, I am following the advice we have been given. Do not go out unless it is essential or to exercise once a day.

Again.....

Have you watched any of the footage from the Italian hospitals?

Imagine having a serious RTA and being hospitalised while there is a Coronavirus outbreak? You might have multiple injuries and then contract coronavirus. Will you be lying in your hospital bed thinking you were really glad you went for that walk? What do you think your chances of survival are?

I work in the NHS in a service that supports people who have suffered life changing events. Some of those people have been involved in car accidents and were in hospital for months on end. Some of them broke a few bones. Others have head injuries that means they can no longer work or function normally. I know for a fact it was hard enough for them to be in hospital under normal conditions. I dread to think what it would be like now.

How is nipping you your local woods for an hour going to the beach for a day trip?🤔

BJ did not say people were going to get fined for driving to their exercise.

Bored of this now, some just love to lecture and talk nonsense.

My parents live in France. There is no ambiguity in the lockdown rules there.

In order to go out of the house, you need a certificate that can be downloaded and signed to show to the authorities, even to get groceries.

Maybe that is what will eventually happen here in the UK to avoid these kinds of discussions around what constitutes 'essential', what 'once a day' means, and 'exercise'.

I can't understand why ppl can't make a short term sacrifice for the greater good.

don't see how walking in deserted woods close to your house will spread the virus.

And if everyone wants to go to these woods like you, what's to stop them?

The virus is airborne. It also stays on surfaces for hours, even days. Where are you going to park? Will others park there too. Maybe all brushing past each others car surfaces?

Where does it end?

GiantRedPanda what on Earth is going to happen to somebody strolling in a wood to require ICU (and coastguard/mountain rescue as somebody else mentioned upthread).

I hope you have moved your bed into your living room, because what if you fell down the stairs one day? And are you knocking grapes out of people’s hands in supermarkets because the selfish bastards could choke on them and need CPR? Do you lecture people drinking smoothies, because what if their hand had slipped into the blender while they were making it and they’d blended their hand off? How many NHS resources would that use?

Honestly, we can go through every Casualty opening scene from the past thirty years if you want to, but a stroll in an empty woodland is not likely to end in hospitalisation, or even a twisted ankle.

So funny, made my day!

Well if you don't want to "stay at home", or are thinking of stretching the rule set, with a drive/walk, etc then don't grumble when things get tightened up..from what I have seen mostly the French haven't been to bad but another twist as put on the lockdown tonight becasue some people didn't think the rules applied to them.

French PM announced this evening that your daily exercise/walk with your children is now defined as being only one session, at no time to be any further than a kilometre from your house..and no, dog walkers don't get an exception.

If you are out on the streets, walking or in a car, for no good reason, then you will be fined. What part of this do people not understand ?

What part of “going to do exercise” don’t you understand @Flaxmeadow? It is one of the four express “good reasons” to be out. Nobody said that you could only go on foot. Most pavements in residential areas are less than 2m wide. If you go out for a run from your house and meet 10 other people also out, how do you safely observe social distancing? On the other hand if I drive past them all in my car on my way to a quieter place, I have successfully exercised while complying with all SD requirements. Common sense.