Parliamentary debate 4/7/17: Safety of riders and horses on rural roads

In addition to the debate in Westminster Hall, this will be a ‘Digital Debate’. Information about this can be found here on the website. The Facebook event can be found here.

In 2016, The British Horse Society launched its 'Dead? Or Dead Slow?' campaign to encourage drivers to pass horses safely.

There is a road safety Think! campaign about horse riders being safe on the road.

Rule 215 of the Highway Code provides guidance to drivers. It states:

Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles.Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver.

Guidance is also available to motorists from the AA.

This link provides information on all recent Parliamentary references to horse riders on the road.

The current Government guidance to local councils on the setting of speed limits sets out recommended speed limits for roads with a predominant motor traffic flow function. It also states that if walking, cycling, horse riding, community or environmental factors are particularly important on any road section, consideration should be given to using the lower limit [Setting local speed limits, DfT circular 01/2013, January 2013, para 127].

The Government published its road safety statement, Working Together to Build a Safer Road System: British Road Safety Statement, Cm 9175, in December 2015. This makes two mentions of horse riders:

Our key priorities for road safety include: … Protecting vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists and horse riders, through infrastructure and vehicle improvements, promotion of safer behaviour and equipment and ensuring other road users are aware of the risks posed to these groups and adapt accordingly [executive summary]

And:

Behind each and every collision statistic there is an individual story. Certain groups of road user, such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders, are clearly more vulnerable to the physical impact of a collision than those in an enclosed vehicle […] Despite the elevated risks for vulnerable road user groups, it is important that we recognise the benefits of these modes of travel. [paras 1.6-1.7]