Boost for riders’ road safety

Horse riders who regularly use the roads in Brentwood, Essex can look forward to having a better relationship with other road users, thanks to the distribution of a special road safety leaflet entitled “Give them space. Share the road – it won’t kill you” by the county council.

The initiative is part of Essex County Council’s umbrella ‘Share the Road’ campaign, launched last April and due to run during the next two years, targeting interactions between drivers and more vulnerable road users.

‘We realised we needed to include horse riders in the project and we’re hoping to make other road users more aware of horses on the road,’ explains Pat Clark of Essex County Council.

The council launched the special leaflet on Saturday (18 October) at Chapel High in Brentwood High Street. The leaflet gives advice to other road users on how to treat horses on the road, with recommendations including passing wide and slow when overtaking and remembering that horses are unpredictable and sensitive to noise.

The leaflet also tells horse riders how they can help motorists, reminding them to thank other road users when they slow down or stop, and to remember that some people are frightened of horses.

The leaflet was produced in consultation with local horse riders and Jane Farrington of the British Horse Society. Riders from local stables were on hand at the launch to explain how horse riders and other road users can help keep the roads safe for each other.

Rodney Bass, Essex’s county councillor for highways and transportation, says: “It is important for everyone to take a positive approach towards preventing injuries and saving lives. If all road users made an effort to be sensible and courteous, everyone’s journey could be an altogether safer and better experience.”

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