Campaign to promote safer driving around horses

Road Safety Wales is reminding drivers of their responsibilities when encountering horses and their riders using the road.

Last summer, Road Safety Wales commissioned new roadside posters to be produced to highlight the need for drivers to drastically reduce their speed to less than 10mph when approaching a horse and to leave at least a 2 metre (6ft) gap when overtaking.

The initiative originated in Carmarthenshire with the Council’s road safety team successfully launching a trial of roadside posters before the campaign was extended across Wales.

The new campaign posters, aligned to the latest Highway Code, have now been made available to all 22 Local Authorities in Wales.

Teresa Ciano, Chair of Road Safety Wales said, “If you are approaching a horse and rider, the first thing to do is reduce your speed to a maximum of 10mph and be prepared to stop.

“Please keep well back and avoid revving your engine or sounding your horn. Be patient and allow the rider time to find a gateway or somewhere at the side of the road where there is enough space to enable you to pass safely.

“If the road is wide enough and it looks as if there is an opportunity to overtake safely, please ensure you will be able to do so without rushing, leaving at least 2 metres gap from the horse. If in doubt, always wait for a larger gap or somewhere with even better visibility.”

Road Safety Wales is grateful to Carmarthenshire County Council, the Welsh Government and the British Horse Society for their assistance in developing this campaign. The British Horse Society has provided invaluable data via the incident reporting section of bhs.org.uk. This has helped ensure the advice for drivers can be located at incident hotspots as well as on routes frequently used by the equestrian community.

Cllr. Edward Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, Carmarthenshire County Council said: “The consequences of a collision between a horse and a vehicle can be devastating, not just for the horse and rider but also for the occupants of a vehicle.

“Horses and their riders are vulnerable road users. If it was one of your friends or family riding, you’d rightly expect drivers to behave responsibly. Most drivers are very understanding and we are aware of drivers stopping their vehicle and switching off their engine to allow horses to pass in their own time, particularly those driving HGVs. This relatively simple act shows real consideration and is very much appreciated.”

Road Safety Wales is encouraging the equestrian community to report incidents and collisions to expand the knowledge base of equine-related events. Capturing accurate data on the frequency and severity of incidents will assist in identify trends and can be used to highlight and address the risk faced by equestrian road users more effectively. Incidents can also be reported quickly and easily using a phone or tablet device, via the free BHS Horse i app.

Riders are also encouraged to submit video and photographic evidence relating to driving offences to GoSafe through Operation Snap. Please go to gosafesnap.wales for more information