Horse riders have a right to use the road, and both riders and motorists are responsible for each other’s safety. As the nights are drawing in it is more important than ever to remember to be bright and be seen and for motorists to remember to pass wide and slow.
As a horse rider, you should wear a correctly fitted riding hat, sensible footwear and check your tack before each ride. Both you and your horse should wear brightly coloured reflective and fluorescent clothing regardless of the weather, season or time of day. Please refer to the Highway Code rules 44 to 55 for more guidance. Should you find yourself involved in a road safety incident whilst riding, the British Horse Society encourages riders to report every incident they are involved in. Find the report form here.
As a motorist, you should look out for horses being led or ridden on the road and take extra care to keep your speed down at left hand bends and on narrow country roads. Slow down to a maximum of 10mph, give them plenty of room and be ready to stop. Do not scare animals by sounding your horn, revving your engine or accelerating rapidly once you have passed them – horses are strong but vulnerable animals easily scared by noise and may panic around fast moving vehicles. Remember to pass wide and slow, allowing at least 2 metres of space. Please refer to the Highway Code rules 214 and 215 for more guidance.
The East Riding Road Safety team currently have Share the Road signs available for siting in areas of concern. If you are interested and would like to find out more please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can also download the sign from our website to print and use as a poster to display on noticeboards in your area here.
(Featured image © Horse and Hound)