Big rise in road accidents involving horses in Suffolk
The British Horse Society says the number of incidents on the roads has doubled since 2020
The British Horse Society (BHS) is urging drivers to 'humanise horse riders' as new figures reveal a doubling of the number of accidents involving riders in Suffolk.
34 incidents were recorded in 2021 compared to just 14 in 2020. A horse was killed in an accident in Suffolk in 2020.
It's thought the rise is partly down to more people now using the roads post-pandemic.
A survey by the BHS recorded 2,943 incidents involving horses and vehicles across the UK. 85% of them happened due to vehicles passing by too closely.
As part of its ‘Look Out for Laura’ campaign, the BHS has released two new videos to educate and encourage riders to safely pass horses on the road.
The videos tell the story of two horse riders who rely on riding as a way to de-stress. Both encourage drivers to think about how they look at, and empathise with, horse riders when they are out on the road.
This campaign has been informed by research carried out by Nottingham Trent University, in collaboration with the BHS and Cycling UK, with funding from The Road Safety Trust, who are dedicated to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads.
It reveals that drivers who have greater awareness of a rider’s personal story have significantly improved how they would pass riders on the road, giving a greater passing distance and slowing down their speed.
Over 500 horses have been killed on the UK's roads since 2010.
What should I do if I see a horse rider on the road?
- Slow down to a maximum of 10mph.
- Be patient – do not sound your horn or rev your engine.
- When safe to do so, pass the horse wide and slow - at least a car’s width away if possible
- Drive slowly away
Alan Hiscox, Director of Safety at The British Horse Society said:
“The number of incidents involving horses on Britain’s roads remain far too high. It is, therefore, vital that we continue to urge drivers to be more considerate when passing horses and aware of how to do this safely.
"Riding helps people from all backgrounds and walks of life, particularly when it comes to relieving stressful and difficult situations.
"We need to push awareness of this, and believe the ‘Look Out for Laura’ campaign offers a powerful message that will encourage drivers to think about the riders around them and help to reduce the significant number of horses being killed on Britain’s roads.”
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University were tasked with evaluating the impact of the videos on drivers’ attitudes. Professor Crundall a Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University reported:
“Our analyses have demonstrated that these videos improve both drivers’ attitudes towards horses, and their future intended passing behaviours, when compared to a control group.”
The BHS encourages all riders to report incidents to the charity at horseincidents.org.uk or through its Horse I app.