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news
Dog walker lead (Pixabay License)"Everybody has to take greater care": Cyclists react to ban on long dog leads near cycle paths
Earlier in the week a district council in Devon made headlines after announcing an extension of a public space protection order banning dog walkers from using long leads near cycle paths or highways.
Those who use leads longer than one metre risk on-the-spot £100 fines when the rules come into effect from April.
> Cyclists' safety highlighted as dog walkers face fines for using long leads near cycle paths
The rule does not apply to parks and beaches, with Teignbridge District Council pledging to improve signage to communicate the changes to the public.
So how has the announcement been received amongst the cycling community?
Some expressed their approval at the change, with extendable dog leads being singled out by many as a danger to those on two wheels.
Fursty Ferret, for example, said: "I think it's the right decision. There seems to be a new trend for dog walkers to buy extendable leads which are just a thin wire and completely invisible until you ride into it."
In 2017, a London cyclist wrote to Mayor Sadiq Khan after suffering slashes to his face, back and clothes due to an "almost invisible" dog lead stretched across a path in Blackheath.
Biker Phil added: "On my local shared tracks, the problems I see are usually dogs on a long lead, or worse, dogs which are off the lead but not under control: I approach slowly and sound my bell, the dog runs around almost getting caught in my wheels as it tries to bite me whilst the owner tries to call the dog which completely ignores them."
Bill Smiles also commented: "As a cyclist and proud collie owner I have come to loathe extendable leads. Either the dog is on a short lead or it's off lead in the woods etc where it won't cause a problem and return when called. I know, I know, loose dogs can be a pain but at least you can avoid them and not worry about a lead. By the way I'm a postie and had more experience than most people of aggressive dogs."
In response to a question from another reader asking why a dog owner might choose to use an extendable lead, Podc replied: "I'll have a go. We have a dog that loves people but is scared by other dogs. The fear triggers an unpredictable reactive response which is sometimes the fight part of fight or flight.
"No idea what made him like this but we've been unable to fix it. So when we walk him, he has to stay on a lead. An extending lead gives him a degree of freedom to do doggy things but we can keep him under control and to heel on a shortened lead if required. Hope that helps."
Old Ridgeback also suggested responsibility for everyone's safety must be a collective issue when in shared spaces.
"In shared spaces everybody has to take greater care. When I'm riding round my local park, I always slow down when there are kids or dogs about because they're unpredictable.
"I'm a dog owner too and I can't tell you how many times I've had close passes by riders concentrating on their Strava performance. I don't use a long lead but it is a public park and dogs are allowed to be off lead."
Mungecrundle agreed: "I was thinking the same. Yes, dog walkers should keep their pets under control, but also in a shared space you have to be prepared to yield your priority, go a bit slower and make allowances for the errors of others.
"Rather like the tolerance, care and basic decency that some of us patiently and endlessly encourage from the mouth breathers that infest every local news Facebook story even tangentially linked to cyclists."
bike.brain commented: "I'm a cyclist and a dog owner. When walking my dog, I liken being passed too fast and too close by a cyclist with little or no warning to being close passed by a car driver on the road.
"Wherever there's a dog on a shared path there should be an owner and, taking into account the new hierarchy of road users, the Highway Code now says that cyclists should give way to pedestrians. I always slow down whenever there's a pedestrian and go even slower where there's also children or a dog involved whether on a lead or not.
"I frequently exercise my dog on a shared-use path by the canal and there are signs that say that cyclists should give way to pedestrians. I find the main danger is cyclists coming up from behind too fast without using a bell or giving any type of warning. We need time to recall the dog. Given enough warning my dog will come to me and sit while a cyclist passes by.
"Dogs need exercise and proper exercise involves the dog being on a long lead or preferably off lead. Properly exercised dogs are generally better behaved. When dogs aren't exercised properly they can become prone to bad or obsessive behaviour. A dog is not going to get proper exercise on a one-metre lead."
We thought better of sharing the jokes about dogs needing to wear hi-vis, helmets and day lights if they want to use the paths...
What do you think? Is the public space protection order a good idea?
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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19 comments
Is this your lead story or merely a quick tail?
I'm fed up of seeing all of these unlit dogs mostly wearing black, all over the pavement, often not wearing helmets, red man jumping and without valid tests in place. They are often uninsured, moving too fast or too slow, and they don't pay pavement tax...
Think I've covered it...
You missed out the millions of £ spent on dog poo bins which cause traffic congestion and they don't even use them!
One nearly killed me once! I was just crossing a side street - in the States - when it sped out and missed me by inches ... in a greyhound bus.
Just some ruff copy that they banged out without much paws fur thought.
You've missed two a-tails.
There seems to be some confusion 'out there' about who is responsible for avoiding a dog-vs-cyclist collision.
It's our job to take car and avoid collisions between us and other road users- regardless of whose priority is apparent.
It's a dog owner's responsibility to keep control of their dog. Control doesn't just mean it's on a lead: it means the dog is not causing undue nuisance or risk/threat to others. This is made more explicit in Rule 56:
Whenever I cycle on the road past a dog on a long lead on the footway, I take a wide path to mitigate the consequence of the dog darting out beyond the dog wrangler's ability to control it. Not because it is primarily my responsibility, but because I need to.
Beyond that, I'll pick up Richard Ballantine's approach which went something like,
So if you think I don't value your dog's health and well being sufficiently, it is better if you do the job prophyllactically.
So to play devils advocate I presume you feel that drivers should take the same opinion when it comes to cyclists?
because you seem to be advocating this kind of approach "if a cyclist won't control themselves on the road, I will, and with force if necessary"
Or am I misinterpreting your point?
I see a new headline - "Cyclist Bites Dog"
I think GMBasix is stating that they'll use force if necessary to protect themselves as an uncontrolled dog running at your wheels can easily cause you to crash. The same situation doesn't really apply to cars/bikes (unless the cyclist starts using a machete against the driver).
Responsibility on avoiding a collision sits with both parties, no matter who has priority. My advice on dealing with dogs is to go around them slowly and carefully. If they're running towards you, then the best bet is to stop completely (unless it's some rabid Cujo-type encounter) and glare at its owner or alternatively welcome the opportunity to pet a dog.
If a dog is running after you it may be your responsibility, is that what you're saying?
Close enough
Latest covert images of Secret_Squirrel?
Yes. You are missing the point. At the risk of falling for a merry jape:
IIRC Richard Ballantine's approach was relating to Cujo encounters, and involved the pointy end of a frame pump...
IIRC, he specifically recommended the middle of the pump: if you use the end, the dog will often go for the hand; if you hold both ends of the pump, it will go for the middle. an alternative involved being prepared to feed your hand right into its throat to change its focus from attacking to breathing. I have no intention of finding out any way.
Really? OK, its been a while since I've read the Bicycle Book.
It's only in the early editions, in my first copy (1986) he said something like (from memory so forgive errors): "I like dogs very much and the idea of causing them pain distresses me but the idea of being permanently disfigured or seriously injured by a dog distresses me more. In previous editions of this book I have offered advice as to how to defend yourself against an attacking dog but my publishers have asked me to remove them after an outcry from dog lovers."
I'm not sure where my copy is, but I'm pretty sure it was earlier than 1986.
My main Ballantine go-to is his 'City Cycling', and that doesn't mention dogs at all
Yes it's been around since 1974 - by "first copy" I didn't mean a first edition but the first copy I owned.