Road incidents involving equestrians continue to persist at ‘shocking rate’

The British Horse Society is calling on all road users to consider how they pass horses, on the back of statistics showing there were 3,118 incidents involving horses on UK roads in 2024.

The new statistics show that of those incidents, 58 horses died and 97 were injured. Additionally, 80 people were injured.

The data also highlights that 81% of incidents occurred because a vehicle passed by too closely or quickly.

This is despite the introduction of the new Highway Code guidance for equestrians in 2022, which states that vehicles must pass horses at no more than 10mph, while leaving two metres distance.

As part of The British Horse Society’s Dead Slow road safety campaign, the equine charity is calling for all road users to evaluate how they pass horses – as well as how impactful passing horses too quickly and closely can be. 

There was however an 8% decrease in incidents reports compared to 2023, when the total stood at 3,383.

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at The British Horse Society, said: “While we have seen a small reduction in the number of horse fatalities over the last year, which is positive, it is clear that a significant number of drivers are still unaware of the guidance in the Highway Code.

“As a motorist, you may not consider how passing a horse at great speed or too closely could affect you. 

“Horses are naturally flight animals, and their instinctive response to danger is to react and move quickly away. Even the most experienced and well-trained horse can be startled by unexpected movements or loud noises, like a car passing at speeds in excess of 10 mph.  

“The impact of a collision can not only cause the horse to be injured, it can also cause great injury to the rider or carriage driver, motorist and any passenger in the vehicle.”

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