A London cyclist has written to Mayor Sadiq Khan and Greenwich and Lewisham councils about the use of retractable dog leads. Robert Perkins suffered slashes to his face, back and clothes as a result of an ‘almost invisible’ lead stretched across a path in Blackheath.
London News Online reports that Perkins was cycling along a path near the pond on Prince of Wales Road at around 8pm on June 12 when the incident happened.
“Travelling south on my bicycle, I was completely unaware that the dog leash was stretching across the path until colliding with it. The friction of the moving cord cut through my clothing and the cord jumped to my face causing the injuries. The dog’s owner was also injured by the leash.”
He added: “The leash was so thin it was almost invisible and it was so long, both the woman and her dog were both some distance from the path. I went to the hospital for treatment but did not need stitches – I am just hoping the slashes will heal up without too much scarring.”
Perkins wants to highlight the potential hazard of people using retractable leads across pathways in open spaces.
“I am likely not the first cyclist that has been involved in such an incident, and fear I will not be the last. While I realise that the green spaces must be shared by many users, my understanding is that dog owners are legally obliged to keep their dogs under control at all times in public – something which is effectively impossible with the use of these types of leads.”
Nicholas Sanderson, senior policy officer at Sustrans, walking and cycling charity, said: “We’re very sorry to hear that Mr Perkins was badly hurt while cycling on the path on Blackheath. Shared-use paths like this provide valuable spaces to travel, free of traffic. Sharing the space requires everyone, including walkers and cyclists, to use paths carefully and to be mindful of others.”
He added: “With more people travelling around London as the city grows, it’s vital the mayor and local councils continue to expand the network of safe cycle routes to support the growing number of Londoners travelling by bike.”
In 2015, a man knocked off his bike by an out-of-control dog on a retractable lead won a £65,000 payout from the dog’s owner.
Anthony Steele had suffered a fractured skull when the dog leapt into his path while he was training for a Coast to Coast to event in Heysham in 2012.
37 thoughts on “London cyclist says ‘invisible’ retractable dog lead stretched across path cut through his clothing and injured him”
Cyclist going too fast on
Cyclist going too fast on shared path, is what some will say.
These leads are ridiculous and I see them on the roads. Person holding lead, 3m of lead on a 1.5m wide path. How does this stop stupid dog from running into the road? I feel sorry for the dogs.
Dog owner response on shared path is likely to be that it is on a lead and to blame the victim while being totally unaware of their own antisocial behaviour.
I hate those extendable leads
I hate those extendable leads. The dog is not under control and IMO a dog on an extendable lead should be treated as being off the lead.
Morgoth985 wrote:
totally agree
Those things are a bloody
Those things are a bloody menace. I regularly cycle on park roads and I have learned to look out for the owners holding them. Most people are careful, but there are always the odd ones. The worst one I have seen was about 5mm thick and pale blue/grey. It had a middle-aged lady on one end and a small King Charles spaniel on the other. I saw it at the last moment and managed to stop just touching it. I pointed out to her that I am a responsible and slow moving pensioner and managed to stop, whereas a fast moving teenager might well have hit the lead and probably broken her dogs neck.
I’m surprised he doesn’t sue
I’m surprised he doesn’t sue the dog owner for damages.
Those leads are only for people who haven’t/won’t train their dogs sufficiently. A short lead is all that is required and any dog can be trained to walk to heel without pulling/straining at the leash. It horrifies me to see dogs straining away and the owners struggling to keep the dog under control – that takes far more effort than just training your dog. Once you get to a park/open space, then a well trained dog can be let off the lead and will return to you when called.
What really bugs me is that we’ve been selectively breeding dogs for centuries to be incredibly obedient and tolerant and then idiot owners just don’t even bother with the basics and pretend that the dog is out of control (the owner let the dog behave like that).
hawkinspeter wrote:
Not strictly true.
Whilst I agree a lot of people use them because they can’t be arsed to train their dog I have one I occasionally use with my rescued dog so he can have a bit of a run around without being off lead – because despite our best efforts to train him if he gets spooked no amount of training can overcome his fear as he legs it from whatever has scared him,
not to say I disagree with the general view of them though
keirik wrote:
Whilst I agree a lot of people use them because they can’t be arsed to train their dog I have one I occasionally use with my rescued dog so he can have a bit of a run around without being off lead – because despite our best efforts to train him if he gets spooked no amount of training can overcome his fear as he legs it from whatever has scared him,— hawkinspeter
I appreciate where you’re coming from and rescue dogs can be very traumatised from improper care and training. I’d still prefer to use a short lead though, as if the dog gets spooked, it’s a lot easier to immediately control a dog on a short lead than a long one.
hawkinspeter wrote:
yep not going to disagree, Bruce spends 95% of his time on a standard lead that is actually attached to me to stop him ripping it out of my hand. The extender is for if I’m on the beach or in a field so he can have a bit of a run – I actually prefer a very long non- retracting horse lunge line – and there’s no way anyone could miss that, but he tends to tie me in knots with that
keirik wrote:
haha, my brother has burns above his ankles from bastard dogs on long lines that are practically untrainable. Bloody lines get cameras in mud, ends up all over your trousers.
It’s not the leads that are the problem, or dogs, it’s the idiots in control of them.
That said, I’ve had to hurdle a few dopey dogs in the past, not sure I could have bunny-hopped them!
I’ve thought for a long time
I’ve thought for a long time that those things are downright dangerous, and not just to cyclists. I don’t understand why they are not made a bright floreascent yellow, so that can be seen. As it is they are pracitcally invisible!
also, if he can find these
also, if he can find these leads that are so long that both dog and owner were “some way away from the path” I wish he’d tell me where to buy them, because I can’t find a long one!
A while back I narrowly
A while back I narrowly avoided being taken out by someone who had their lead completely blocking a foot/bike bridge in the dark with their lead. They can be very scary when used by idiots.
My wife and I were talking
My wife and I were talking about extending dog leads. She asked if we should get one for our pup. I said no as I think they’re dangerous, particularly for cyclists. As our dog’s a whippet he can move pretty quickly when he wants to. Perhaps using an extending lead is ok when someone is walking a dog in heathland away from a path and as one previous poster says, the animal has a habit of running off. But I certainly wouldn’t use one near a path as they don’t give sufficient control. A dog can move pretty quickly if it sees a squirrel or a cat for example and not so many are so well trained not to chase. A whippet like mine is even bred to chase small prey in fact so he’s either on a normal lead or off the lead when we’re in apublic park.
Something doesn’t quite add
Something doesn’t quite add up here. Either the cyclist was on a recumbent, the dog was absolutely massive, or the owner was holding the lead in the the air. for the lead to get his clothing and his face it’d have to be above handlebar level.
P3t3 wrote:
Steady on Poirot – he does say that the leash moved up towards the face – as it might as it gets tighter.
I’ve almost come a cropper running with these – I can easily imagine it happening on a bike. Stupid irresponsible people. I feel sorry for the dog having to put up with them.
P3t3 wrote:
Yeah, it’s like those moon landings. Either the US spent vast amounts of money on a colossal project, scientists and engineers worked for years to push to the boundaries of our technology, or astronauts bravely piloted craft with amazingly simple computers by today’s standards. For a spacecraft to get to the moon and back it’d have been an achievement above our species’ normal level.
Or it was any or all of those things. Not everything warrants a conspiracy theory.
handlebarcam wrote:
Chill, I’m only making a reasonable observation.
Think about it: If the lead is under stem height then it’s unlikely to end up on the riders face because it’ll get caught under the bars. I’d expect that the average dog leash is below stem height (dog about half a metre tall, leash in owners hand about waist high).
Do you see it differently?
Think it’s time, if not
Think it’s time, if not already be done, for a cyclist to sue a dog owner if they get caught up in an extending dog lead. I’d happily contribute to a fighting fund to get these things outlawed.
Another issue with these
Another issue with these leads, is that the young are often too long when fully retracted with a poncy handle to hold the dog by. A proper slip lead or even choke chain and a trained dog is far safer.
I see dogs on extending leads that are unsociable and growl or bark at other dogs and pull as hard as they can, so they are even irritating to other dog walkers that have well behaved dogs. We have only used one on our dog when she is recovering after surgery, and she didn’t even bother trying to wander off, she just walks next to us because that’s what is trained to do when on a lead.
If owners control their dogs and train them, and cyclists and runners slow down near pedestrians and dogs it would work, but in reality, it rarely happens.
My run ins on bikes havnt
My run ins on bikes havnt been fun usually the owners are on one side of a fire road while the dogs in the bushes on the other. I agree they are a danger.
I think the issue really is people not using them correctly. If your in a field an have a dog that likes to vanish fine extend away. on a path or similar keep it short, the dog shouldnt be running away at that point anyway it just re enforces a bad behaviour.
What get’s me is why when
What get’s me is why when pooch is on the left of the trial do dog owners insist on standing to the right and calling to heel?
Yorkshie Whippet wrote:
Or the ones who step away from the dog, because when they eventually become aware of an aproaching cyclist they only seem to care about themselves, not their poor, often scared animal.
Let alone daring to look up from their phone.
I have seen these extendable leads in flourescent and I understand that they are also available in reflective. But that would take some responsibility. I do not quite understand why any dog owner would risk their dogs safety and take it for a walk on part of the national cycle network, let alone use one of these extendable leads or let them run around uncontrolled.
I have also been tangled up
I have also been tangled up in one of these dog leads.
I have reported this and loose dogs (not in control in a public place) to both dog wardens and Sustrans and they refuse to address this significant H&S risk.
A time will come when individuals either take action into their own hands or sue for damages from Councils/Sustrans.
I’ve nearly come a cropper
I’ve nearly come a cropper with one of those not long ago. Walker on the left and the dog invisible in the bushes on the right… on a downhill stretch. There was nothing about the walker’s stance that gave any clue and it was only my call of “Coming through on the right” that got the walker to stick their arm out to start retracting the lead. I didn’t know the bike could stop that fast without me going over the bars.
My ex has one for her rescue dog and is responsible with it. I’m not sure where she got it but it is fluorescent yellow and flecked with reflective bits not one of those damned invisible things.
Extending leads are pointless
Extending leads are pointless. If the dog needs to be on a lead, it needs to be on a short, static one. The extending leads are also heavy, awkward to carry when not in use, and generally fall apart within a year. They’re crap.
Disclosure: I’m a dog owner.
On our local shared use path
On our local shared use path I keep the dog on a short fixed lead (not an extender) and I tell my kids “If I call ‘bike’ then you come to *my* side”.
Private Eye had a cartoon a couple of weeks ago: bloke standing next to a sign saying “Dogs must be kept on a lead” and he had an extending lead which headed off over the horizon…
I’m not a fan of extendable
I’m not a fan of extendable leads as it massively reduces control of the dog, while providing a handy garotte for cyclists.
However there are also a fair few irresponsible cyclists out there that don’t ring bells/shout early enough to allow a reaction. This is especially true when dealing with groups of people or dog walkers. You need to leave enough time between ringing your bell and being on top of the peds for them to turn around, figure out where you are and decide which way they’re going.
Vehlin wrote:
Aren’t the pedestrians being irresponsible by taking up the entire width of the path and not being alert for other users on a shared use path?
I occasionally use these paths for short trips, it is rare if I don’t come across at least one group of pedestrians completely occupying the path and oblivious to the presence of other users.
burtthebike wrote:
Don’t forget that they’ll all be plugged into phones or iPods and not looking where they’re going or what’s coming.
From a dog walkers
From a dog walkers perspective. On foot on a footpath. Why is the cyclist on the path and i bet he didnt use a bell. Extendable dog leads are useful however when some idiot on a bike trying to improve their PB appears out of nowhere accidents do happen.
Greygreeb wrote:
This incident occured on the road, with the cyclist riding perfectly legally, and no cyclist trying to improve their PB is going to be on a footpath. Apart from those few minor points, your post is utterly irrefutable.
Greygreeb wrote:
It’s a shared-use path; cyclists have every right to be there. There is nothing in the report here or in the original which says he was trying to improve his PB.
I see this is your first comment on this site. Do you have some special interest in this incident?
Greygreeb wrote:
Case closed then.
We’ve already had some views posted by dog walkers above, including people who didn’t register just to post several lines of complete drivel.
Greygreeb wrote:
All the information is in the story. It’s a shared use path walkers and cyclists can both use. The dog and the walker were both some distance away from the path.
Why would you ring a bell if nobody is in the vicinity ?
It’s not rocket science – don’t have a lead stretching across a path. I love dogs. Just not keen on idiot owners.
Shouldn’t the dog walker and
Shouldn’t the dog walker and dog be wearing helmets and hi-Viz?
There are times and places where the retractable leads have use. In a local village, the bye laws prohibit dogs on any public spaces without being on a lead. So retractable leads allows some exercise whilst not infringing local rules. However, I would only use this in a wide open space, away from any traffic.
The key point is lead use needs to be responsible, dog ownership needs to be responsible, and cycling should be responsible. When one side falls down, then it is negligent and people can get hurt. A little bit of respect goes a long way. If you’re somewhere where other people may use the same space, then be vigilant and ready to act.
In this case, it sounds like the lead use was not responsible. My dogs would be of their lead in an open park, but I am confident I could bring them to heel or into down-position at distance.
I hate those things with a
I hate those things with a passion. And the other day I had a set too with a dog walker as I dared to challenge them that there dog was under control on their extendable lead………
I was on a mixed use path beside a quiet road, and the dog was running about at full extension on the lead as I was approaching on my bike and the owner made no attempt to control the dog on the lead. Had the usual discussion to which they said their dog was definitely under control. So I picked up a loose stone, got the dogs attention and threw it across the road (this was on a Sunday and there were no cars about) and the dog was on the opposite carriageway before the owner had time to react.
They now beleive that their dog was not under control on the extendable lead… job done
I’ve been discouraged from
I’ve been discouraged from using extendable leads as they give a ‘dead’ feel to the dog – with a proper lead, you can give gentle feedback to the dog and encourage them to behave.
Not that this has worked terribly well with one of mine – he still pulls dreadfully despite me and others spending hours trying to train him. Luckily, he’s become pretty reliable off-lead and has learnt to avoid bikes. Runners, not so much so, as he sees them as mobile petting possibilities and because he’s so happy and cute, it often works.
I’d disagree that some kind of lungeing rope is better than a retractable lead though – I’ve had a too-close encounter with one, and it would have easily broken a few bones.