But don’t step in road to dodge fellow pedestrians

STEPPING off the pavement and into the road to avoid fellow pedestrians has become part of lockdown etiquette.

But police are now saying we should stop this practice because it is dangerous and there is a low risk of passing on the virus by briefly crossing paths.

There have been a number of reports of clashes between pedestrians trying to walk past each other while maintaining two-metre social distancing. But police warned it was not worth the risk of potentially stepping into traffic.

Scotland Yard’s advice states: ‘If you do go out, please don’t walk in the road to avoid passing pedestrians on the pavement. Momentarily crossing paths with someone won’t give you Covid-19.’

But charity Living Streets has launched a campaign for wider pavements and said it is up to motorists to take more care.

Its communications manager Kathryn Shaw said: ‘Police should not be saying don’t walk in the road. Jaywalking is not a crime. People may need to walk in the road... to feel safe and can do so safely. The onus should be on drivers to be vigilant that there might be more people taking up space.’

Some councils including Bristol and Manchester, as well as the London boroughs of Richmond and Lambeth, have already begun widening pavements and introducing one-way systems for walkers.