Driving to walk the dogs

[MrsT1704]

Can anyone direct me to where I can find legislation that says that you cannot drive to a location to walk the dogs or for your exercise. I have not heard this mentioned anywhere else other than from the police who are saying they are going to start fining people.

I walked my dogs around my area the other day and bumped into around 9 groups of people and it was impossible to stay 2 meters apart.

Went for a walk in a forest yesterday and Didn’t see a soul. I’m not driving many many miles, just up the road and just don’t get how walking around the local streets and not being able to socially distance is safer than driving a short distance to walk them in isolation.

I get that people are saying that driving could contribute to accidents but I think that driving up the road and crashing the car or breaking down is much less likely that passing on the virus whilst passing someone on the street that you cannot distance yourself from

I am also a health worker and exposed to Coronavirus on a daily basis without appropriate PPE (which we have complained about but seem to get nowhere due to lack of supplies) and walking around the streets and passing people without 2m distance would put them at much higher risk as it is highly likely I could be carrying it and pass it on

Common sense seems to have gone out the window.

I checked this too. There is nothing said about travelling for exercise. I would rather drive an hour like I did yesterday and walk my dog in absolute solitude rather than walk him from my house which means see lots of people.

I think it's because it's a non essential journey.

I completely agree it doesn't always make sense - we have the same, can't move for people on pavements on the front door, but no one in sight in after 15 minute drive. But we've decided that if we had an accident, or if we twisted an ankle in a more remote spot, we just couldn't justify it.

I walked from home yesterday. Absolute nightmare. So many people, not sticking to the 2m rule at all. Spent more time diving into undergrowth to keep the distance than actually walking.

The day before I drive to the countryside. Saw 3 people all at about 100ft distance. Felt much safer.

I do understand about no uneccessary travel but feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall trying to walk around here.

Bring on the bad weather!

There isn't any.

Police have misinterpreted it. Matt Hancock 2 days ago said it was fine. Various MPs and barristers have today said it's fine.

Yes I heard Matt Hancock on the radio a day or two ago saying it was fine.

I’m glad you’ve started this thread because I’ve been wondering the same. DS and I stayed local yesterday and it was a nightmare-people on bikes, others walking dogs, toddler etc all walking through the green belt that runs around our town.

Drive 15 mins up the road and there’s a huge forest with no one in it. I haven’t done it this week but I’d like to!

It's fine. The social distancing rules are there to stop the spread of the virus, driving to an isolated walk is very sensible and is less dangerous than walking on busy streets close to your home. People just love having authoritarian rules when they feel threatened. If you view this as a psychological experiment it's quite interesting really.

I've seen that some police forces have gone way over the top about this though, based on no scientific guidance at all other than some sort of religious zealotry to authoritarianism, so maybe check if your local police force is one of them. Derbyshire Police put an awful video on twitter of them shaming people for walking (and taking photos, who knew that was against the rules) at Curbar, despite those out walking following social distancing - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-52055201

Its non essential travel. You have to read the exercise bit in conjunction with the non essential travel bit. The same way as you have to read the exercise bit in conjunction with the 2m apart bit and the no meeting other people bit.

@Hasa

But please explain to me how driving 2 miles away to an isolated area to go for a walk is epidemiologically more likely to spread the virus than walking on a busy street by your house? If you think solely about virus spread, which is the better option? This is about stopping virus spread not being devout for the sake of it.

But please explain to me how driving 2 miles away to an isolated area to go for a walk is epidemiologically more likely to spread the virus than walking on a busy street by your house? If you think solely about virus spread, which is the better option?

I'm a dog owner too so I sympathise but its not about one thing in isolation. The roads need to be clear, A & E don't want RTAs to deal with, petrol pumps are a major potential spreader and lots of people are twats and think its ok to "exercise" by sitting having a picnic or sunbathing which the police quite frankly don't have time to police.

If it's fine for you then it's fine for everyone......then we all end up in the countryside.

@hasa but it still remains that the risk is higher when walking in the immediate area because the risk of spreading the virus is higher and much more likely that a RTA

Harpingdon you've hit the nail on the head.

@Harpingon but we are all on the streets right now anyway and not able to social distance, at least we can in remote areas!

@Hasa

Ambulances don't need zero traffic, a short drive of several miles on quiet roads isn't going to cause a problem.

Wear gloves at the petrol pump and wash your hands afterwards. Cash machines are probably more dangerous than petrol stations.

Picnics and sunbathing in isolation do not spread the virus. If you are in a rural area with no one about this is not going to cause a problem. Are you going to trying to get people fined for sitting down on a bench, enjoying some sunshine and eating a sandwich?

We need to be thinking about the science of virus spread and using our common sense. Science science science please!

Are you going to trying to get people fined for sitting down on a bench, enjoying some sunshine and eating a sandwich?

Yes - as you quite rightly should be.

MrsT I live next to a forest which has had to be closed down because so many people were driving to it.The police don't have time to ask everyone how far they have travelled or why they are there. Families having picnics and catching up with friends. People walking dogs together. If you are there then why not everyone? Why are you special?
The police now have to spend their day driving round all the little routes into the forest to stop the idiots that think they are special.

You might also want to check with your insurance website (dont call them, they are overloaded and asked to focus on vulnerable ppl)... Im concerned about accidents and be told, you shouldnt have gone out by them!! I need to travel home, i want to isolate with my parents, they are 2 hours away... Staying alone is making me feel unsafe.

Instead of driving two miles how about walking the two miles

Once you get one idiot doing something it spreads and you suddenly get loads of idiots doing it..... Just like a virus..

we are not allowed to drive out where I live, have linked.inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/drive-exercise-walk-dog-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-rules-driving-explained-2519644

@HasaDigaEebowai

You're proving my point. There is no logic, or science to your argument. Just think about how viruses spread and use that to guide your avoidance behaviour.

At least Matt Hancock and Chris Witty have got sense and have been urging us to use our common sense. Michael Gove said we're allowed to drive to allotments. If the government wanted to ban driving somewhere to go for a walk then they would have specifically done so.

The problem here is that you are thinking at an individual level OP.

I appreciate in your specific circumstances it might be possible to argue it's a safer option.

However you need to think beyond your immediate situation.

If it's ok for you to drive a couple of miles to a wood to walk the dog, then it's ok for everyone else.

If a couple of miles is ok then how about 5 miles/10 miles?

If it's ok to drive to walk the dog then it's surely ok to drive to go for a run, or mountain biking or a hike up a mountain?

Then for each of these exceptions we see more people in the "remote" countryside/woods thus defeating the object - especially if some are doing exercise with a risk of injury.

More people are on the roads with an increased risk of accidents.

More petrol is being used making filling stations more dangerous re: transmission.

That's why the message has to be simple because every exemption has consequences beyond the individual.

Stay at home.

I'd love to know where people are living that it's impossible to go out for a walk locally as there are too many people. I'm in London, and although I see lots of people on my daily walks people are being fine about stepping aside and giving each other space. It's easy to find excuses.

As others have said, it's one rule for all and if driving for exercise then others will do the same.

And no-one should be driving for an hour for exercise - that's selfish and ridiculous!

I think it's all about using your common sense. Driving 5 minutes down the road to a quiet spot is different to driving an hour away to spend the day at the beach.