Walking—social, health and economic benefits, and the law

Walking is Britain's most popular outdoor pastime. It is good for health and, particularly in rural areas, good for the economy. Walkers in England spend £6 billion every year, generating in the region of 200 000 full-time jobs. Rights of way are afforded excellent legal protection. However, despite this, in England 35% of paths are difficult or impossible to use, and in Wales around half of all paths are unsatisfactory, and around a third are unusable. Highway authorities have the duty to protect and assert the public's rights to use footpaths and other highways, and new legislation—the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000—is introducing new duties and powers for these authorities.