For anyone thinking of driving somewhere for exercsie

[LadyTiredWinterBottom2]

I think this answers your question.

We saw a car being stopped late in the evening. Anyone else been stopped and checked by the police?

That is tricky for me. I am at higher risk, and so a friend who has a field has said we cab walk the dog there, it is unused by anyone else, including her. We can walk there, but that means walking through the centre of the village, and probably past other people on very narrow lanes. It is a few minutes drive, and I am safer inside a car and then I can get out and sit in the field, walk with dog etc. My garden has very close neighbours either side and I am worrying that it isn’t safe, as they are out in their gardens all day long at the moment.
Do I really have to walk to the field rather than drive ?

It isn’t actually possible to follow all the rules and go outside for exercise if you live where I do. I either have to drive somewhere quieter or accept that social distancing isn’t possible. Whichever I choose someone thinks I’m in the wrong. There ARE no right choices, only wrong ones.

So I refuse to judge people who choose to drive somewhere and exercise. Because many of them will be faced with exactly the same issue, and most likely they are genuinely trying to make the best possible choice.

I’ve not heard anyone complaining about the people who live rurally driving to access our supermarkets, pharmacies or hospital - so I’m pretty unsympathetic to their attitude that people who live in town shouldn’t be allowed to drive to access more rural areas where they might actually be able to walk without getting close to other people.

Anyone who frequents the feminism boards will know that the police are not necessarily correct in their interpretation of the law... A police leaflet has to be backed up with legislation. They want to avoid people taking the piss, obviously, and not driving 20 miles to a beauty spot, like they all did at the weekend. Driving a couple of miles to a much quieter place is unlikely to be an issue.

If you stick to what is in the legislation and the actual guidance notes issued by the government, you are doing nothing wrong and most importantly - more likely to decrease social contact than walking along a busy street. And decreasing social contacts is what we are aiming for to reduce infection.

Suburbs and towns have no places to avoid people. I want my family to make a short drive, wave to me through the window, and take a walk on my private land meeting no one

BBC have said this is reasonable . I think this Police force have got it wrong. It would be right if the place was apark or public beauty spot butt not a private land

This is NOT in the U.K.,you CAN drive somewhere to exercise or walk a dog.Once a day.

I do wish Mumsnetters would stop posting false information!!!

Just follow Government rules for goodness sake!

Also sign up for updates by email on the Gov.UK website,you will be informed then as soon as anything changes.

Nothing has changed since Monday.

"BBC have said this is reasonable" Maybe get a second opinion from someone who writes beauty tips for a magazine or a guy who writes for Readers Digest?

Whilst now this is fine I think further down the line the restrictions will tighten up.

It's in our local paper this morning that one of the park areas was busier than a weekend yesterday.... the icecream man was even there. Far too many people treating this like an extended bank holiday.

I guess come the weekend when the weather goes back to miserable grey we'll see a lot less of this.

I think this is just the way this particular police force have interpreted the rule which isn't clear.

The more you drive, the more often you have to interact with people and surfaces at petrol stations. Worth bearing in mind perhaps.

The more words it takes you to explain why what you're doing is safe even though it doesn't look like it's in the spirit of the new rules, the more likely it is that you shouldn't be doing it, IMO. Not least because other people may just copy what you're doing in an unsafe way, without realising that you're doing it in a special, safe way.

A great way around this! Volunteer to do deliveries for vulnerable people on your local groups. Your car gets a run, you're on essential business and you can do your exercise on the way back. Many will provide you with paperwork to prove you're doing essential business as well.

I would ignore that police advice if it is actually real. They are massively overstepping what has been said by HMGov and if they made the even bigger mistake of trying to enforce it, there would be an immediate 'retiring' of the Chief Constable etc etc.

I actually cannot believe that a police force would be wasting resources like this in a time of crisis. The spirit of the law is to prevent people congregating in numbers in public spaces not bloody driving to a place to walk.

If it is true, then it needs leaking to a few National newspapers. There is a Chief Constable who urgently needs removing from his job, pronto.

So many posts recently saying, basically:

''I was in x park/open space and was horrified to see loads of people there. It's fine that i was there (because that's where i always go to walk the dog/run/cycle/scratch my arse) but SO wrong that other people had gone there too.''

......

That’s good for the environment if correct

I would have thought it was common sense that your daily exercise needs to be taken near your home ie walkable because otherwise you will have idiots sticking their children and dogs in the car and driving them to the beach everyday . If you don’t have an open space for your dog to go offlead that’s walkable then you need to keep the dog on a lead .

Hellooooo it's an area owned by The National Trust, the police are right to call people out

The government advice is to exercise locally and avoid non-essential travel

Police are stopping cars. Some minor roards are being closed off with concrete blocks, yet people still dont take any notice

I can walk it, is only about a mile, and a lovely walk, but I am worried about being unable to avoid other people on the lane, so we have been getting in the car.

I drove to a remote location today with my kids. We saw two other people who gave us a wide berth. I can't see the police in our area getting their shit together to come and tell me off, they rarely out to actual crimes round here.

@Flaxmeadow,where on earth do you live!

Police are happy here for people to drive and then walk,cycle,walk dogs etc.That is the Official Government advice!The Police have been in our area today and satisfied we are all being sensible,if the Government advice changes,we will act accordingly.

How can minor roads be blocked!! That would be an accident waiting to happen,I don’t believe you!

The spirit of the law is to prevent people congregating in numbers in public spaces not bloody driving to a place to walk

This.

it was common sense that your daily exercise needs to be taken near your home ie walkable

and as I've said on the other threads, I would have also thought that it was common sense that not everyone lives in a flat area with pavements/paths.

How can minor roads be blocked!! That would be an accident waiting to happen,I don’t believe you

Me neither, there's a lot of nonsense made up spouted on here.

Volunteer to do deliveries for vulnerable people on your local groups

In fact a running group in Bristol (so presumably covered by Avon & Somerset police) have been doing exactly this (not together, obvs).