A leading horse charity has welcomed new rules giving more protection to horses and their riders, after more than 1,000 road accidents involving the animals were reported last year.
A total of 46 equine deaths were reported to the British Horse Society (BHS) between 2020 – Feb 2021, with an additional 118 being injured and 130 human injuries.
But new changes to the Highway Code means that horses have been given the same protection as pedestrians and cyclists. The equine charity says the positive changes were implemented due to a direct result of BHS’s involvement in the Highway Code review’s stakeholder group for vulnerable road users.
The changes aim to keep horses, riders, handlers and carriage drivers safer on UK roads.
BHS say they had lobbied and collaborated with a number of bodies to suggest Highway Code improvements and to represent equestrians in the review. Organisations BHS worked with include Cycling UK, DVSA, Department for Transport (DfT) and Living Streets.
The map below shows the number of road incidents involving horses in each region during 2020-21. Clicking on each region will also show how many horses died in the incidents.
A key change to the Highway Code is a new Hierarchy of Road Users, where horses are now classed as vulnerable road users alongside pedestrians and cyclists.
This new rule highlights that, irrespective of method of transport, those who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others.
The advisory speed at which to pass people riding horses or driving horse-drawn vehicles has been reduced from 15mph to 10mph.
Drivers must allow at least two metres (6.5 feet) of space.
The BHS is committed to educating drivers and creating awareness about how to safely pass horses on the roads, through their Dead Slow campaign.
Alan Hiscox, director of safety at BHS, said: “We are thrilled that our hard work has paid off and these crucial changes to the Highway Code will be brought in.
“I am very pleased that the BHS was able to represent the equestrian community within the DfT’s Highway Code stakeholder group to ensure that all equestrians were included in the changes.
“They are a significant step forward for equestrian road safety and will help protect vulnerable road users, making the roads safer for everyone.”
While these changes are a step in the right direction to protect horses and riders, there is still much more that needs to be done to prevent the hundreds of horse and rider injuries, and even horse fatalities, reported to the BHS each year.
Dead Slow was launched to help better educate drivers on how to safely pass horses on the road. The campaign consists of four key behavioural change messages to drivers.
What to do if you see a horse on the road
- Slow down to a maximum of 10mph.
- Be patient and refrain from sounding the horn or revving your engine.
- Pass the horse wide and slow if safe to do so, leaving at least a car’s width if possible.
- Drive away slowly.
The charity is urging equestrians to report any incidents they experience on the roads using the Horse i app, which gathers data to help strengthen the BHS’s voice when implementing positive changes such as this one.
To find out more about BHS Dead Slow and the Horse i app, please visit: www.bhs.org.uk/dead-slow
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