Pioneering work involving electric cars and the impact they have on horse and rider safety was showcased at an equestrian college in honour of a royal visit.
Princess Anne attended a road safety awareness event at Askham Bryan College, in Yorkshire, on 25 September, where demonstrations of the ongoing research were carried out.
The event was organised by the British Horse Society (BHS) and the college, and involved electric car demonstrations by Alfa Power. These involved electric cars approaching horses from behind while the animals’ reactions were observed.
The company has approached the BHS with a view to look into potential conflicts between electric cars and equestrians.
“The BHS aims to work closely with Alfa Power in the future to conduct scientific tests to examine the impact of electric vehicles in depth,” said a statement from the charity. “This work will help support the key safety messages promoted by the BHS, especially its Dead Slow campaign.”
Princess Anne was also introduced to college students and lecturers, who demonstrated training for the BHS’s “Ride Safe” award.
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“One of the BHS’s main charitable objectives is to promote and advance the education, training and safety of the public in all matters relating to the horse,” said BHS director of safety, Alan Hiscox. “As a BHS assessment and training centre, it was fantastic to be able to work with Askham Bryan College to demonstrate to HRH the Princess Royal the brilliant work the BHS and its partners are doing to protect and promote the safety of equestrians across the country.”
Tim Whitaker, acting chief executive and principal of Askham Bryan College, added students and staff were thrilled to meet and talk to Princess Anne.
“We were delighted to welcome the princess to see our college and this ground-breaking study into what is such an important part of road safety for both riders and drivers,” Dr Whitaker added.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
