The British Horse Society (BHS) is backing this week’s Road Safety Week (21-27 November) in a bid to cut down on road accidents involving horses.
The latest statistics reveal that there have been 2,070 road accidents involving horses in the past five years, of which 181 resulted in the death of the horse and 36 caused the death of the rider
This year has seen a fresh wave of campaigning by the BHS to educate drivers to help prevent these deaths and injuries.
The society launched its campaign “Dead or dead slow?” in March, which included a video produced with the Department of Transport demonstrating how to pass a horse safely.
Alan Hiscox, BHS Director of Safety, said: “We are asking drivers to slow down to 15mph when they see a horse on the road.
“A lot of people aren’t sure how to safely pass a horse when driving, and that is why we are working towards strengthening the Highway Code so that all drivers know they should slow to 15mph when they meet a horse on the road.”
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Recently, the BHS has been working with Conservative MP Jake Berry, who has been helping to campaign to have more information included in the Highway Code.
“I want to help drivers pass horse riders safely when they meet on the roads. I want to help educate beyond the meaning of road signs, to instil confidence for all vulnerable road users. I will be raising this issue with other MPs in Parliament,” he said.
As part of the campaign, the BHS is also encouraging riders to always wear hi-vis when out on the roads, as well as ensuring that they thank all drivers who pass them responsibly.
Anyone rider who has experienced an accident while out on the roads should log the incident with the BHS at www.horseaccidents.org
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