The Mud Life - Issue #9

What is the difference between off roading and green laning? References to green laning being 'off roading' has to be one of the most common (and infuriating!) inaccuracies any responsible green laner will come across. It is common to be told “You can’t drive/ride here!”, when driving/riding perfectly legally, or to be termed as 'illegal off roaders' when doing nothing illegal! So, let’s clear things up:

What is green laning? Green laning is the act of driving/riding unsealed public highways in cars or on motorbikes, i.e. roads without tarmac, and is as legal as driving/riding down the M6 or any other tarmacked road in the UK. A road legal vehicle is required to do it, all the same laws apply to motorists as on any other road and so do the same penalties for misusing them. Driving is slower than on tarmaced roads due to the terrain, usually under 10mph for 4x4s, possibly a little faster for motorcyclists.

What is off roading? Off roading can only take place on private land with permission, or at an organised event. Vehicles do not always have to be road legal, a charge is usually payable to join in, sometimes even a special driving licence (if the activity is motorsport related) and driving/riding is marshalled by on site staff. Driving/riding can be very technical, or very fast, or both depending on the event.

They are essential to our road network and to many people for all sorts of reasons and that’s why it’s important that they remain open to vehicular traffic, historically closures have resulted in lack of maintenance, overgrowth of flora making them inaccessible to all, or their complete loss from maps and records. GLASS and its members regularly provide labour and funding to county councils to help maintain our green lanes, see our website for examples of our work!

Who drives green lanes? Anyone can! The average vehicular user is as difficult to define as who takes a walk in the countryside, users vary from age 17 to in their 70s, people with families take their children, locals use them as alternative scenic routes, enthusiast clubs meet to drive them in small groups, disabled users who cannot access the countryside on foot, cycle or horseback use lanes to access rural areas, or those who also walk, cycle or horse ride sometimes like a change. As well as recreational users national organisations like the 4x4 Response service use them to train their volunteers in technical driving skills, as do many others like some branches of the emergency services who also use them to access injured parties. Utilities providers use them to access power cables and water sources, land owners and farmers to access their land and livestock.

What should I do if I see someone driving/ riding where they shouldn’t be, or driving irresponsibly on legal green lanes? Take registration numbers and/or photographs (if it is safe to do so) and report the incident to the police on 101. Let us at GLASS know too, we campaign against irresponsible driving and can help to repair any damage caused by those who don’t respect our roads.

For more information on green lanes visit: https://glass-uk.org/

To Join GLASS go to: https://www.glass-uk.org/join-glass.html

Re-printed, with permission, from the Green Lane Association (GLASS) website