‘A moral obligation’: unsafe passing of horses among most annoying driving habits

Dangerous driving around horses and riders is considered one of Brits’ most annoying road-related habits, a survey has found.

Research involving more than 1,300 drivers aged between 17 and 55+ found that disregarding horses made people more angry than similar behaviour concerning pedestrians and cyclists.

Almost two fifths (36%) of Brits said “not respecting horses and their riders” was one of the worst driving habits motorists can commit; as 13th of 30. Not respecting pedestrians was 16th and cyclists 20th.

Ash Young, founder of CarMats.co.uk, which commissioned the research, told H&H: “The findings from our survey show the genuine concern Brits have for the safety of horses and riders on our roads. They also emphasise the urgent need for greater awareness when it comes to responsibly sharing our roads.

“Respecting the space and safety of riders and their horses is not only a [Highway Code] obligation but a moral one too. So we urge drivers to exercise patience, caution, and empathy when encountering riders and horses on their travels.”

The top three most annoying motoring habits were failing to indicate, driving too closely behind another vehicle and cutting off other drivers. Hogging the middle lane and parking on the pavement and yellow lines, was not deemed as much of a crime as passing horses unsafely.

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