Coronavirus = empty roads

[mrtwisty]

Solocle said:

mrtwisty said:

Solocle said:

I could go for a 200 mile cycle without contravening government instructions. It's a distance I've done before (twice), and the advice is to do your usual exercise.

Will I? Hell no. Doing 200 miles in your proverbial backyard is just going to get boring. If I don't do it that way, there's a significant risk that I'm going to run out of energy and need picking up... which is an unnecessary journey.

I'm not going to curtail my distance unnecessarily - bread and butter 40 to 60 mile rides are still on the cards. Hell, if I feel adventurous, I could do 80-100. I don't necessarily need to stay on my doorstep for those distances, as long as I carry a suitable number of spares, and a suitable quantity of food and drink.

I'm surprised this post hasn't been picked up on by the more zealous posters on this thread. Perhaps because it doesn't mention driving?

I would suggest that riding 40 or 60 miles, even within a 5-10 mile radius of one's own home, is MUCH more risky (in terms of potential disease transmission) than a five mile drive, followed by a 2 hour walk in quiet open countryside, while maintaining sensible distancing and anti-viral transmission habits. A car vs cycle crash is often a serious event, requiring the intervention of many people over an extended timeframe. Like it or not, a fair few vehicles still need to continue using the roads.

There are still a LOT of people going to work that don't NEED to, since the advent of the massive government support that is coming on stream.

If we are really serious about limiting the transmission of this virus and giving the health service a fighting chance of doing its job, it is the movement of these non-essential workers that really needs to be curtailed for a few weeks.

To be clear, this has very little to do with the time these people spend on the roads, cooped up in their little metal quarantine boxes. It has much more to do with the 8 hours a day they spend in close proximity to one another.

In terms of disease transmission, your point would certainly be valid if I lived in an urban area. I don't - I'm out into NSL country roads after 300 yards. And yes, some vehicles do continue using the roads, and they will be going faster due to the reduced traffic. From what I've seen though, there's not terrible driving in my area, and even the (pretty well sighted) A roads are quiet. So risk strikes me as significantly lower than that in normal times.

I think you misunderstand me. The transmission risk isn't because you're in the open air instead of a metal box - the increased risk comes from the higher likelihood ( especially on nsl country roads) of an accident necessitating a lot of close contact from a large number of people needing to look after you for weeks or months, from the first responders to the surgeons to the ward staff etc.

[Superleg48]

All of the arguments being raised about risk comparisons, whilst valid are missing the fundamental point. The instruction, not advice, is to stay at home unless essential to leave. It is not essential to drive for a jolly it is not essential to cycle 100 or 200 miles, it is not essential to run 5 or 10k. Exercise is allowed, but the intention of that advice is you start from home and return to home ( not drive somewhere first). Just go for a walk once a day for a couple of weeks. You can do that wherever you live and still manage the 2m social distancing advice, be it city, town or countryside.

[Boosted LS1]

We have been advised by the government that we can go for a walk, jog, take exercise. It's not hard to understand is it?

Obviously conduct social distancing when out, wear lube and don't touch surfaces. That's not hard to comprehend either.

There seem to be plenty of control freaks on here. Fortunately I don't see that 'sort' when I'm walking in the countryside. i see cyclists and walkers behaving sensibly.

[Vroomer]

[redacted]

[Far Cough]

Just SORN`d the car to take temptation out the way. I get £50 bonus each month as a thankyou !!!

[Solocle]

mrtwisty said:

I think you misunderstand me. The transmission risk isn't because you're in the open air instead of a metal box - the increased risk comes from the higher likelihood ( especially on nsl country roads) of an accident necessitating a lot of close contact from a large number of people needing to look after you for weeks or months, from the first responders to the surgeons to the ward staff etc.

I think you might be right about the country roads, although the ones in my case aren't the narrow kind. On today's loop (23 miles), 13 were on A roads, which were quiet enough to be pleasant - 5 miles on the A30, and plenty of times that all I could hear was birdsong. I think B roads were maybe slightly preferable, but there wasn't too much in it. The lanes possibly swing in the direction of people driving too fast because they think that nothing's around.

My main concern with these shorter loops is that I'm working at fairly high intensity for an hour or less, which means I'm averaging in the region of 20 mph. I actually caught myself marginally speeding in a 30 zone today... longer rides mean a more sedate pace, generally. I say generally because a few weeks back a well directed wind let me do Oxford-Cambridge at over 20 mph average, but that was unusual.

Oh, and the high intensity stuff also can trigger quite a nasty cough due to mild asthma. I got one today after pacing a lorry up a hill at 22!

[sharepointalex]

Just dropping this one here (hoping it doesn’t spark some angry responses.) - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co....

National police chiefs council have said it is not illegal to drive somewhere, even more than once a day to carry out exercise.

Interestingly if you read the actually government regulations, it’s not limited to only one form of exercise a day either..

Clearly hasn’t been well communicated to each police force that’s for sure.

I’m not saying we should all go out and do this, I just thought it was an interesting read.

[Teddy Lop]

The roads might be near empty, but anyone finding an alarming high number of dawdling tts? I'm talking frustratingly slow - 20 in 30, 30ish on safe NSL A/B roads - I know we should all try to take a bit more care for obvious reasons and I'm down with that but this is just moronic.

[swisstoni]

sharepointalex said:

Just dropping this one here (hoping it doesn’t spark some angry responses.) - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co....

National police chiefs council have said it is not illegal to drive somewhere, even more than once a day to carry out exercise.

Interestingly if you read the actually government regulations, it’s not limited to only one form of exercise a day either..

Clearly hasn’t been well communicated to each police force that’s for sure.

I’m not saying we should all go out and do this, I just thought it was an interesting read.

The govt instructions are mind numbingly clear.

[RogueTrooper]

Teddy Lop said:

I'm talking frustratingly slow - 20 in 30, 30ish on safe NSL A/B roads - I know we should all try to take a bit more care for obvious reasons and I'm down with that but this is just moronic.

Just the opposite from what I've seen - a higher-than-usual number seemingly exceeding the speed limit and also quite a few drivers who appear not to be bothering with seatbelts either.

[Paul-427]

[redacted]

[Sheepshanks]

RogueTrooper said:

Teddy Lop said:

I'm talking frustratingly slow - 20 in 30, 30ish on safe NSL A/B roads - I know we should all try to take a bit more care for obvious reasons and I'm down with that but this is just moronic.

Just the opposite from what I've seen - a higher-than-usual number seemingly exceeding the speed limit and also quite a few drivers who appear not to be bothering with seatbelts either.

I did a drive that I normally do regularly along B and unclassified roads and, not sure why, perhaps lack of usual time pressure, but I found myself taking it very easy.

Something else for the “press on” brigade to watch for - saw quite a number of people out walking / running, normally it’s rare to see anyone on foot. It was just incredible how often I met these people on bends at the same time as another car was coming towards me. Please be careful.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Saturday 28th March 09:46

[rosetank]

[redacted]

[DonkeyApple]

swisstoni said:

sharepointalex said:

Just dropping this one here (hoping it doesn’t spark some angry responses.) - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co....

National police chiefs council have said it is not illegal to drive somewhere, even more than once a day to carry out exercise.

Interestingly if you read the actually government regulations, it’s not limited to only one form of exercise a day either..

Clearly hasn’t been well communicated to each police force that’s for sure.

I’m not saying we should all go out and do this, I just thought it was an interesting read.

The govt instructions are mind numbingly clear.

It is bizarre. But at least it shows the Police are equal opportunity employers and have a good balance of ‘thick as mince’ at the top as well as the bottom.

But just look at any work environment you e ever been involved in, sometimes it just doesn’t matter how clear the instruction is or how intelligent the recipients are there is always a number who bafflingly interpret the instructions differently to the majority.

Anyway, I think most people are leaving the roads free for those who need them and deliberately reducing their risk of causing additional woes for their family and the emergency services.

And as much as I may think the people driving up past my house with bikes on the roof of their cars might be selfish dicks or maybe just a bit thick I suspect that it doesn’t really matter so long as the vast majority are being intelligent and caring of others.

The roads outside my home are pretty empty and they are fantastic driving roads at the best of times. On my driveway and in the barn are cars build for hooning and I love a hoon but they haven’t moved in weeks. For me going out and making a noise and having fun when the country is going what it is going through is like making a phone call in the middle of a funeral service. Just unbelievably rude, selfish and depressingly obnoxious.

Edited by DonkeyApple on Saturday 28th March 09:51

[davej11]

Once again the selfishness of the (minority) British public does not fail to amaze me. What part of non essential trips do people not get? Going for a drive in your car or motorbike is not essential! Again people think it's one rule for them and a different rule set applies to everyone else. There is a reason many roads are quiet and that's because the majority are following the governments advice. Give your head a shake of you don't think the advice applies to you!

[sparta6]

For those who are struggling

[anonymous-user]

i have a phone foe sale. Some gut interested, but driving from leeds over 100 miles way, ive said no, that is taking the piss.

[DonkeyApple]

Thesprucegoose said:

i have a phone foe sale. Some gut interested, but driving from leeds over 100 miles way, ive said no, that is taking the piss.

If you ensured it was a one way trip you would quite possibly be doing society and the health services a huge favour though.

[nickfrog]

[redacted]

[Riley Blue]

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