A near miss today.

[spotty_pony]

Still in a bit of shock but I had a very near miss today whilst out riding in locking a double decker bus. It is only because the horse I was riding was so well behaved and moved where I asked him to move at the right moment that there wasn’t an accident.

I live on a fairly busy road on the edge of a village so although it is a 60mph zone just outside the gate, it goes into a. 30 mph zone in about 100 yards. I had just set off riding towards the village when the bus approached me from behind and as I looked over my right shoulder I realised he wasn’t going to slow down or barley move over so I quickly got on the grass out the way. He drove by and then slowed right down - I really don’t think he saw me at all! I was wearing hi viz and visibility was very good. The car behind stopped to ask if I was ok. I have reported this to the bus company as the buses have cameras on them so they are going to view the footage and take appropriate action.

I was ok at the time it’s only since I’ve thought of all the ‘what ifs’ afterwards that I’ve realised just how lucky we both were.
Luckily we do have another access for hacking out through one of the fields from the house so I have decided I am never hacking out that way again except for on a Sunday when it’s much quieter. This particular horse is recovering from a tendon injury which is why I was riding him out the road way but I’d rather risk him slipping on the grass than have that happen again.
Just wanted to vent here… and also wondering how many others on here have also had a very near miss over the years?

 

[ycbm]

It's very frightening isn't it? My worst was also on a 60 mph stretch. Half the road was shut with roadworks, and an idiot passed me at what seemed like full speed in the part that was half closed. He nearly caught my foot with his wing mirror, he was so close. I still think about it many years later.

I'm glad you are both OK.
.

 

[spotty_pony]

It's very frightening isn't it? My worst was also on a 60 mph stretch. Half the road was shut with roadworks, and an idiot passed me at what seemed like full speed in the part that was half closed. He nearly caught my foot with his wing mirror, he was so close. I still think about it many years later.

I'm glad you are both OK.
.

Thank you. I’m trying not to overthink it else I would quite happily not ride on the roads ever again but we don’t have an arena yet so then I would be very limited. I’m going to go shopping for more hi viz I think and stick to quieter roads/off road as much as possible.

 

[chaps89]

Glad you were ok OP.
I had a near miss last week - out hacking, cyclist coming towards us, horse starts to freak, I ask cyclist to stop, they keep coming, 18 hands of horse turns to run, falls over his own feet and we go splat.
Thankfully I jumped off at the moment he hit the deck and kept hold of him so ‘all’ we suffered was a scrape to his stifle and he was stiff for a few days.
It could have been very very different. (I’ve since suggested we get the bikes out and do some de-spooking though!)

 

[spotty_pony]

Glad you were ok OP.
I had a near miss last week - out hacking, cyclist coming towards us, horse starts to freak, I ask cyclist to stop, they keep coming, 18 hands of horse turns to run, falls over his own feet and we go splat.
Thankfully I jumped off at the moment he hit the deck and kept hold of him so ‘all’ we suffered was a scrape to his stifle and he was stiff for a few days.
It could have been very very different. (I’ve since suggested we get the bikes out and do some de-spooking though!)

Glad to hear you are ok too, what did the cyclist say?

 

[chaps89]

Glad to hear you are ok too, what did the cyclist say?

He was an old chap, so not even a Lycra clad one out on a mission, he was sauntering along minding his own business tbh, I’m not sure if he didn’t hear me or just didn’t think he needed to stop. He did wait till we’d picked ourselves up and snorted our way past him though.

 

[nagblagger]

I dread to think what my horse would have done, she met her first double decker bus with me last week, driver was courteous and sensible, but it could have been so different, she stood and trembled.
You could get the bus timetable, so if you do decide to do that route again you can organise it so you don't encounter a bus.

The trouble we have with cyclists is they don't let us know they are coming up behind us - but that's for another thread.

 

[spotty_pony]

I dread to think what my horse would have done, she met her first double decker bus with me last week, driver was courteous and sensible, but it could have been so different, she stood and trembled.
You could get the bus timetable, so if you do decide to do that route again you can organise it so you don't encounter a bus.

The trouble we have with cyclists is they don't let us know they are coming up behind us - but that's for another thread.

Luckily he is very good in traffic but if it had been a different horse I dread to think what might have happened. I am struggling to understand how the driver didn’t see him - he is a 17 hand Friesian so not small!

 

[nagblagger]

Hopefully the bus inspectors will let you know what they found on camera and what steps they have taken to avoid it happening again. They could always use this in a training video.
Glad your both ok.

 

[spotty_pony]

Hopefully the bus inspectors will let you know what they found on camera and what steps they have taken to avoid it happening again. They could always use this in a training video.
Glad your both ok.

Yes I’ve requested they let me know what action is going to be taken - I am pleased they have footage but I’m not sure I would want to watch it back myself!

 

[tda]

A lady locally to us had a near miss last week, the wagon obviously didn't see her so just ploughed on, luckily her horse spun and went up a small grass bank.
The miss marples of the village have combined their cctv and identified the wagon so it's been reported to the police

 

[Palindrome]

A lady in a village about 20 minutes away from me died a month ago. She was on foot with her horse, crossing a bridge to go for a quick hack and was hit by a vehicle. She has left behind 2 young children.

 

[spotty_pony]

A lady in a village about 20 minutes away from me died a month ago. She was on foot with her horse, crossing a bridge to go for a quick hack and was hit by a vehicle. She has left behind 2 young children.

that’s awful and scarily seems all too common these days. ?

 

[AntiPuck]

That sounds very scary, and i'm glad it was a 'miss'!

I know in my area, at least, visibility on the roads has been reduced the past week due to the low sun and the frost. I always use reflectives and flashing lights in this kind of weather, as hi viz isn't really enough to break through. Also never without the hat cam and a 'speed cam' symbol tabard on the roads. You really can't make yourself too visible.

 

[Puzzled]

Report to police not just bus company! Also on BHS page. Glad you’re okay.

 

[throwawayaccount]

Glad you’re okay! How frightening

the roads are just getting more and more unsafe with a lot of stupid and dangerous drivers on the road.

 

[SEL]

Definitely report that to the police. I followed a school bus in my car the other day and the driving was appalling. It's also worth flagging to the council and say you want a sign up (the BHS will put a temporary sign up with council approval)

The driving round me has got worse since the summer. It's like they left their brains back in August. I was on foot with a youngster and moving us both into a gateway when I realised the driver was still coming. I actually smacked my hand onto the bonnet and yelled at her (pony couldn't give a **** luckily). Very sorry about the lady near you @Palindrome that's awful

 

[Boughtabay]

Glad it was a near miss & think it’s a good move giving that exit a miss from now on!

around 9 years ago I had a near miss on the approx 100yds of 60 road with good visibility that connected a nice short circular loop from home. Never rode it again. I could hear a car coming way too fast in the distance behind us, requested that the tanker lorry coming towards us stopped far ahead of us & luckily he obliged & I pulled to the left. Little hatchback came flying up behind us easily 100mph and luckily my mare jumped further left into the hedge not in any other direction & the car had enough room to weave between us and the stopped lorry - he must have cacked his pants. Lorry driver was horrified and I never went that way again despite riding that route since I was ~10yo. I’ll be forever grateful the lorry driver just stopped as I asked him even though it would have looked like there was no reason to stop at all.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

sounds really scary glad your both ok.

I have had many near misses, not recently as not allowed to ride after surgery. Most weekends normally we see an idiot.

I wont go out without my go pro now, and report any issues and I keep the footage always on my computer as well as sending to police.

I remember one coach company round here actually clipped a lady's elbow when it past her and she reported it..

Lets hope they reprimand or fire the driver.

 

[eahotson]

A lady in a village about 20 minutes away from me died a month ago. She was on foot with her horse, crossing a bridge to go for a quick hack and was hit by a vehicle. She has left behind 2 young children
tragic.

 

[spotty_pony]

Definitely report that to the police. I followed a school bus in my car the other day and the driving was appalling. It's also worth flagging to the council and say you want a sign up (the BHS will put a temporary sign up with council approval)

The driving round me has got worse since the summer. It's like they left their brains back in August. I was on foot with a youngster and moving us both into a gateway when I realised the driver was still coming. I actually smacked my hand onto the bonnet and yelled at her (pony couldn't give a **** luckily). Very sorry about the lady near you @Palindrome that's awful

I’ve probably left it a bit late to report to the police now though I guess ? as they will wonder why I didn’t do it on the day.

 

[AntiPuck]

I’ve probably left it a bit late to report to the police now though I guess ? as they will wonder why I didn’t do it on the day.

That's nonsense, there's no requirement to report on the same day. You're also seeking footage as evidence, so have a legit reason to wait.

I save my hat cam footage and do batch reports, it's not an issue.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Definitely report to the police, the guy who practically drove through me on my cycle bike has been charged with dangerous driving.

 

[PeterNatt]

I am so sorry to hear of this incident. Was low bright sunlight a contributory condition? Please report this incident to the Police and insist that they provide you with an Incident Number as this will ensure that it is logged in to their system. Also report to the British Horse Society Horse I App or the British Horse Society www.horseincidents.org.uk web site which collect horse related incidents for statistical purposes (i.e location, time and date, type of incident etc.) which are then used when negotiating with central and local government to improve the safety of Horse Riders and Carriage Drivers. If there is a particular road that you are having issues with then ask the BHS Safety Department at BHS H.Q. (Tel: 02476 840516) to organise a Police ‘Safe Pass’ operation, which will monitor a ridden or drive horse and stop vehicles that do not pass them correctly. May I also suggest that when hacking out you wear a Techalogic-DC1 Camera which takes videos front and rear and you can download to your local police's web site in the event of an incident Also take a look at the 'Pass Wide and Slow' Facebook page which is dedicated to horse related traffic incidents.

 

[Ruftys mum]

I was once riding down a narrow country road with my friend when a police car came speeding towards us. I put my arm out to ask him to slow down and he ignored me. Luckily we were on 2 traffic proof horses but he did not know that. There were no escape routes so if one of the horses had spooked there could have been a nasty accident.
When I got home I rang the local nick and they identified him and said he was coming back for his lunch. He got a telling off and sent on a road safety course. I declined the offer of meeting him