A petition calling for it to become a legal requirement for drivers to have to pass a horse ‘wide and slow’ has received more than 87,000 signatures.
The petition, which also asks for drivers to have to abide by hand signals asking them to stop and slow down when asked, has been launched by Debbie Smith using the website change.org. She aims to reach 150,000 signatures in a bid to attract the attention of the Government.
Ms Smith points to statistics which show that more than 4,000 horse riders and carriage drivers were admitted to hospital between April 2011 and March 2012 as a result of injuries resulting from a road collision.
The Highway Code currently tells drivers to ‘be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly’.
However, a video produced to accompany the petition says despite the clear guidance “far too many drivers are unaware of it or simply chose to ignore it”.
In March, the British Horse Society (BHS) launched the ‘Dead Slow’ Campaign on the back of data which revealed that between November 2010 and March 2016, 36 riders were killed as a result of road incidents involving horses that were reported to the charity.
On her change.org page, Debbie Smith says: “Horses are easily scared by cars that don’t take care when passing them. When they get scared they can spook or rear, throwing riders off of them. This can lead to someone falling through a windscreen.
“Until there is a law neither the driver, the riders or the horses are safe.”
Calling on people to sign the petition, she added: “Horse riders like me are trying to hold drivers to account ourselves – trying to catch drivers with the use of head cameras.
“But we can’t keep trying to hold drivers accountable ourselves, we need parliament to do something to change this. The horse industry is big, a lot of businesses rely on being able to ride on the roads. We need to be able to ride safely.”
We are not in dark ages. There are plenty of fields and bridal ways. Does a horse choose to go on road….No. selfish riders. It will never be safe to mix cars and horses. Fact.
Richard
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We have laws concerning driving or riding without reasonable consideration to other road users all ready and within that envelope the offence of tailgating now occurs…. but no one has decided by law or definition what distance tailgating becomes an offence. So then it’s up to the judgement of a police officer and the crown prosecution service and a magistrate. This piece of legislation, if it becomes so, will end up just the same. Some horses or riders could be spooked at greater distances than others and some not. Who is to say.
R.Craven Blackpool
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Oh boy, another call for more unnecessary legislation which will doubtless be overcomplicated, impractical, if not impossible to enforce.
We have very clear and simple legislation covering this, that of driving without due care. Since that offence became eligible for FPNs it has become much easier to enforce.
Or it would be easier to enforce if we had the uniforms and cars on the roads to enact the enforcement.
steve, watford
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postscript to my last comment: I’ve since looked on-line and it seems police forces are now actively encouraging people to come forward with video evidence of bad/illegal motorist behaviour and there are examples of succesful prosecutions as a result.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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Ann, the law I refer to is the one in which we are bound to drive with consideration for other road users. The HC gives useful advice about how we need to behave towards horses and riders, and as a former Traffic Police Officer I would have cheerfully mentioned its advice in any prosecution for a WDC case involving a rider. If the Police were calling out for another law because the current situation renders them unable to proceed, then I might agree with the petition, but to my knowledge they aren’t. Another law without any extra officers to enforce it will have no effect whatsoever, other than to bring adherence to laws into further disrepute.
David, Suffolk
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Pat
An example in my previous comment about riding round a corner, a car approaching each way, one behind decides to overtake, goes into on coming car. If I see something in the hedge that might scare my horse, I would rather stop the car than charge into the car, we are not going to be holding up major traffic, just maybe a car.
Debbie
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One positive and heartening thing that has come out of this story and the associated comments, is how important the role of video evidence can be. In the past it would have been the case of one person’s word aginst another’s and the willingness to make a statement, go to court etc. which is why I mentioned previously about one being discouraged to report offenders to the police.
I think now it is easier to do so and with You Tube and the ability to be able to share videos instantly, motorists should be aware that they can no longer assume they can get away with things just because there is no police car around. This is not limited to horse riders obviously – dash cams in cars, head cams on bikers etc. Do any readers have any experiences of presenting such evidence to the police and how they got on?
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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I was leading my young mare out the other day, now she’s brilliant in traffic, trains, buses, lorries etc. We met a beach buggy type vehicle, she spooked, he did nothing wrong but it was a noisy vehicle and she’s not seen one before. She calmed down and took no notice of the traffic that passed after. It was the driver that kept accelerating past us when we were 50 yards from home that got me. I used hand signals to get him to slow down but they were ignored. Luckily there was nothing else on the road as she circled right around me into the road. Needless to say I’m now getting a hat cam..
Joy, Cornwall
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I went to sign the petition as I absolutely agree with “make it a legal requirement to legally have to SLOW AND PASS a horse wide and slow” but I don’t agree with the rest of the petition giving horse riders authority to stop traffic so unfortunately no signature from me.
Pat, Wales
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I ride and own a dog. I also have to ride on a narrow road leading from my field to the nearest bridle path and also some ‘B’ roads. I now wear a camera because of the behaviour of some motorists. On two occassions my horse has been attacked by dogs. He is a large horse and after having his heels bitten, did attempt to kick the offending dog. All I got was abuse from the owner of the dog. I reminded them that they were on a bridle path and not a foot path. Holiday times are the worst in this area for impatient cars and motor cyclists. I have signed the Pass Wideand Slow petition and support the campaign to make the roads safer for riders, walkers and cyclists.
Cath Marsh, Little Witley, Worcs
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David
There is no legal requirement for drivers to slow down around horses, what law are you referring too? The Highway Code only advises drivers to slow down and pass with due care and attention unless you know better? All we want as horse riders is for drivers to take notice of our hand signals, none of us wants to be on the road but we have no choice due to lack of bridle paths.
Ann
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Debbie, I sympathise with your cause. As a pedestrian I suffer some of the same scenarios where I can foresee a potential disaster long before the motorists are aware of it or I would like to have some sort of legal authority to demand that turning traffic stops if I am trying to cross a side road or even to stop the main flow on a through road so that I can cross it.
Do you also notice that on some roads the drivers are extremely courteous and cautious and give you every opportunity to use the road comfortably and safely, whereas on other roads it seems that they would plough you down rather than stop or give way to you?
Charles, England
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Hugh, what sort of complaints have you made against motorists, and how many have you made? Do you think you get a worse response than you would, say, if you reported motor-cyclists, pedal-cyclists, skateboarders, pedestrians or even equestrians?
Charles, England
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David
What is it that makes it not so important that us horse riders want justice for drivers actions? Unfortunately the opinion of some is that policing accidents with horse riders should not be in the same category as a drunk driver causing a accident. Why is it that drivers which speed pass a horse is not seen in the same importance as a drink driver driving and running someone of the road. A driver screaming fast and close by a horse may also cause a death related accident, and is just advisory. I do thank you for slowing for us, but our lifes and our horses are just as important.
Debbie
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I’m pleased to hear that they took it seriously Debbie. My experience of making complaints against motorists is mixed and unfortunately can sometimes be discouraging.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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Hi Hugh,
Yes 3 times I have shown footage to my local force and they have been very good and visited all 3 drivers, but I know from my campaign that forces in other areas have not been so good, it needs to be enforced nationally. When we met the transport minister this was one issue that was raised.
debbie
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Debbie: If you have been able to report any bad driver behaviour, with or without photographic evidence, have you had a good response from the police in terms of following up any complaints?
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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I started this because we need to be able to be safe, one example is I am riding approaching a corner with an oncoming car, a car approaches from behind so I ask the driver behind to stop. He ignores me, overtakes me squeezing past and nearly has a head on with the oncoming car. A lot of accidents that happen can be prevented if cars stopped when asked to, it should be dangerous driving to ignore us and cause an accident. We get abuse all the time by drivers who speed past, too close. We need legal protection the advice given in the Highway Code is just advice, not a legal requirement. I do want to say a big thank you to all the drivers who do take notice of us and slow down, this is the difference between life and death for us, so thank you. We also need education which is also what this is doing.
Debbie
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Whilst there is a law in place it relies on drivers to judge what is a safe speed and distance to pass horses when most have no concept of the risks and variables in a vehicle passing situation. They cannot see as far as the rider, nor what is in or over the hedges or in gardens that are potential hazards. I have seen pedal cyclists passed with more care than horse riders and they cannot jump in the air and land 4 ft into the road if a dog or herd of cows run at them, for example. The current law tolerates and therefore encourages unsafe diving.
Pamela, South West
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The advice to pass a horse wide is only advice! To be safe were need to be able to ask a driver to stop and slow. Example, we can see a car approaching on a corner, we ask the car behind to stop so they don’t crash, and no they shouldn’t be overtaking on a corner but they do because they think they can just squeeze past! We can see dangers that may scare the horse, drivers cannot, therefore to stop an accident we need to be able to stop a car. We also need to be able to ask to slow so we can teach young horses to not be scared of traffic. We got to turn a corner so do the correct arm signal and the car ignores and overtakes us while we are about to turn. We need to prosecute for not abiding our signals. Once a driver had gone through our signal is to late to stop an accident. We are not asking for a lot. With the use of head cams we can gain evidence, we need to be wearing them so drivers know they will be caught. I would like to say that this is a small amount but out only takes one car to do a lot of damage, so I want to say a big thank you to those that listen and slow for us.
Debbie
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I feel that all vulnerable road users need more protection from legislation. Whilst stronger calls for better prosecution would help, I feel better driver education and clearer legislation to be pro-active rather than after the event, as a horse rider I would prefer not to be put in danger in the first instance.
Sam, Surrey
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I am all for taking as much care as possible around horses and riders, but there is already a law which deals with their situation. It is about driving with reasonable consideration for another road user. What we do not need is yet more legislation; what we need is more Police to enforce the laws we already have, a willingness by the CPS to proceed robustly in all cases where the safety of horse riders has been compromised, and for the courts to hand down decent sentences upon conviction.
Let’s hope that riders do wear cameras and that the Police do whatever is necessary to bring selfish, unsafe drivers to book.
David, Suffolk
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