Best hi viz for slowing traffic and passing wide

[Achinghips]

In your experience, is it the one that specifically tells the cars pass wide and slow, the ones saying you're on camera or the polite range or anything else?

 

[sjb10]

I only ever had a 'work' hi-vis with 3/4 sleeves (so they could see arm signals/thank yous). As well as silver reflective strips it also had shiny red one over the shoulders, so broke up the overall shape a bit better. Not very scientific sampling, I only ever hacked locally for a few years and recently he's been too stiff for work. I found the great majority of drivers were considerate to varying degrees, which I put down to varying degrees of knowing how fast they were going or what they needed to do

Personally I don't like the 'Polite' ones, as I think the drivers who are most likely riled by them are the ones who are least considerate in the first place, but that's just my personal opinion. And I didn't want a 'Wide & slow' one cos that is what Pony & I both were!!

 

[rachk89]

I think the polite range are better as it confuses drivers into thinking you are the police. Although they may get angry when they realise you aren't. The young horse or horse in training ones probably aren't a bad idea even if they are a lie.

I wouldn't suggest orange hi vis at the very least. I recently came across someone wearing hi vis that was orange (not on a horse) and I couldn't see them very well. Might just be me though but yellow stands out better for me.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

rachk89, orange is THE most visible in hi-viz, hence used for working services (rail repair gangs, motorsport marshalls etc, etc). It does need the 'silvering' stripes on arms & body to really work best on the road.

The yellow is probably the best on the road, unless mid summer when people can still blend in with surroundings, thats when I pop on the orange so can still be seen.
If at all foggy, then I will don my orange hi-viz jacket too instead of the yellow.

OP, I find a std Dickies workers Hi-Viz with striping on arms and round body, works well with most traffic, along with having hi-viz yellow brushing boots behind too

 

[criso]

I have a Pink Equisafety jacket that has a flap that says Wide and Slow that I can roll up and tuck in the hood when not needed. I go to the yard by public transport and sometimes from work in central london so I do have it rolled up.

I don't always remember to unroll it when I ride and I'm not sure I notice any difference when I do.

 

[rachk89]

rachk89, orange is THE most visible in hi-viz, hence used for working services (rail repair gangs, motorsport marshalls etc, etc). It does need the 'silvering' stripes on arms & body to really work best on the road.

The yellow is probably the best on the road, unless mid summer when people can still blend in with surroundings, thats when I pop on the orange so can still be seen.
If at all foggy, then I will don my orange hi-viz jacket too instead of the yellow.

OP, I find a std Dickies workers Hi-Viz with striping on arms and round body, works well with most traffic, along with having hi-viz yellow brushing boots behind too

It wasn't that night. It put me off wearing orange hi vis haha. I just stick to the usual yellow as it's all I have and I ain't buying new stuff when I don't hack much.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I like to team two colours together, either pink and yellow or orange and yellow. I think that having a large area of hi viz works well and it should be on both the horse and rider. Hatbands are useful for people noticing you over hedges. I have had good feedback from drivers, local farmers and dog walkers including comments like 'they could see you from space'.

I don't use the 'polite' range.

My basic kit is a tabard and hatband for me and an exercise sheet on the horse. I also have some horse leg bands and hi viz tubes that velcro onto martingales, nosebands etc...

 

[ycbm]

Full sleeves make a huge difference, ime.

Quarter sheet on the horse.

That, and L plates, because everyone understands them. I always use them on new horses on the road.

 

[Luci07]

I have stuck with pink as noticed a big difference when wearing this and wearing yellow. I thought the polite ones were being phased out due to complaints and accusations of people posing as police (although I honestly can't see what the fuss is..riders are only trying to get other road users to see them, not give them a parking ticket!)

 

[MyBoyChe]

Sad to say, I think it is more the mentality of the other road users that decides how they choose to pass a horse rather than the choice of hi viz on display. Those that have no idea about the unpredictable nature of your average 500kg animal, or any intention of slowing down for anything or anybody will take no notice at all. I have a Polite waistcoat, an Equisafety bright pink coat with "please pass wide and slow" on it and a plain pink waistcoat and wear whichever best suits the weather. I have been ignored completely and had cars slow right down and completely stop for me, my horse had done nothing to encourage either behaviour so it seems to be completely random. I find that motorcyclists, HGV drivers and horseboxes to be the most thoughtful, presumably because they either understand the vulnerability or do so many road miles they are "good" drivers. This morning whilst driving my lorry I passed a rider wearing a very bright yellow tabard which was easily visible from some way off. It was only when I got much closer I was able to read the "please pass slowly, horse in training" message, so I would say its all about the brightness and visibility rather than the message. Let drivers make up their own mind how to pass you, they should know the correct method if they are qualified to drive and, god forbid, if anything does happen at least you can say you were doing your bit. As a rider, a full command of the correct hand signals is vital as well!

 

[FfionWinnie]

I've tried every kind you can get and also riding out with a small child on a 32" mini Shetland. It makes no difference. Until we can educate drivers the one who will scream past you will do it. They either don't know or don't care.

Riding offensively instead of defensively ie on a narrow road stay in the middle until they slow down usually works but you will still get the occasional charmer who will drive right up behind you in a threatening manner.

 

[asmp]

I mix my hi viz using a pink hatband, and a orange or yellow tabard depending on the light BUT the thing I notice that slows drivers down the most is the camera they can see on the side of my hat filming them!

 

[Elbie]

While people do overtake me slowly (normally!) I don't think they are bothered reading what's on your back. There are so many types of hi-viz out there I just think they see the horse then take action. I don't think I've ever overtaken a horse and read what the tabard says!

My best way of making people overtake wide is to ride with a schooling whip in my inside hand and stick it out towards the middle of the road. I've had a few people do stupid things like try to quickly nip in front and they've just about passed the horse with a few inches between us and the car. Also have cyclists who overtake without warning and often close to us as there is a car coming the other way. Schooling whip I find helps act as a visual aid as to a safe distance to overtake!

 

[ossy]

I won't go out in anything other than my polite range. By far the best respect I've had, been hacking in it for about 4 years now.

 

[SuperH]

My experience would suggest that the Please Pass Wide & Slow is the best. Most people can't read it when moving but if they happen to be stuck behind (eg while waiting for oncoming traffic) then they can read it and know what I would like them to do (and hopefully remember it for future reference!). I've also had better results with young horse in training than plain hi vis, but neither are as good as the wide/slow.

Ideally I would like a tabard with some front wording, not sure if I would like camera and the camera logo or please slow down.

I don't like the polite range as I think it angers/annoys drivers.

My tabard is yellow and I wear either a pink hi vis coat or a long sleeved yellow top depending on weather. I then have orange stirrup reflectors and a mixture of yellow, pink and orange leg wraps. I also have neck bands, one horse has yellow, the other has yellow and pink. I also hack with a long schooling whip with a hivis ribbon tied on the end to try to prevent people squeezing through gaps. I've had many people stop me and ask where I got my pink coat as they say they can see me for miles. When I ride down to the river in the summer my husband can see me from our yard 4 miles away.

I do ride with a camera, I don't think it is that noticeable to drivers though, if I had a hi vis hat silk I think that would make people realise there is a camera there and may also help tractor drivers see us over hedges. That will be one of my next purchases.

My lovely secret santa bought me a flashing/static light strip for Christmas so this will also be added to my outfit.

Interestingly the other thing I have found to make a significant difference is fancy dress. When I've been riding in my Christmas outfit nearly all cars slow down and wave. I've had similar results with Halloween outfits and the like. Lorry drivers seem to love them.

I'm careful to say thanks to most vehicles, I also try to pull off the road if someone is behind me and can't see or the traffic is too busy for them to get past. I have a lot of 'regular' drivers (of all vehicle types, lorries, milk tankers, tractors, delivery vans, cyclists and cars) and they tend to be 'better' than most. I think the smile and wave helps. My black mare also has a fan club and people stop and speak to her and want to pat her. Occasionally it is annoying if I'm in a rush but a bit of good PR is really useful and I think it is very worthwhile to do. I've had more than one driver stop and say how good my horses are and compliment them and my efforts to keep us all safe.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I have various but I am not keen on people having to read something on my back when they are driving! I have a tabard with a caution symbol on (symbol on the back and 'caution' written on the front) it and it really seems to work. I am now in a very rural area though and know most of the people I meet anyway. I always try and nod in acknowledgement and stop to talk to dog walkers and kids etc I have Exmoors who are very cute and quite unusual around here and people are generally keen to ask about them.

I wear a tabard and hat band, horses wear wraps/boots and I think I will get one of those hi viz fly ear thingies too.

 

[wench]

Never ever wear anything such as L plates or vest with message on saying "young horse in training" as you are admitting liability straight away in case of an accident

 

[ycbm]

Never ever wear anything such as L plates or vest with message on saying "young horse in training" as you are admitting liability straight away in case of an accident

This is a myth.

 

[popsdosh]

This is a myth.

Ditto!

It is actually amazing what you can get away with liability wise if your horse causes an accident or damages anything.

If I am totally honest as little hi viz as you can get away with . there is a phenomena called hi viz blindness which is well known in H&S were if it becomes to common a sight your mind ignores it. I know I will get shot down for that .

 

[CazD]

Ditto!
If I am totally honest as little hi viz as you can get away with . there is a phenomena called hi viz blindness which is well known in H&S were if it becomes to common a sight your mind ignores it. I know I will get shot down for that .

This surprises me. I find the more hi viz I wear, the more likely the traffic round me is to slow down. Normally the horse wears a hi viz martingale and I wear a hi viz jacket, although if the weather is a bit gloomy I will throw on the horse's quarter sheet too. People definitely slow down more if the quarter sheet is on. Mind you, I'm only 5'2" and the "horse" is only 13.3 so maybe I get mistaken for a child from the back??

 

[Sandstone1]

Never ever wear anything such as L plates or vest with message on saying "young horse in training" as you are admitting liability straight away in case of an accident

Think that's been disproved?

 

[PeterNatt]

Long sleeved Hi-Viz jackets to the highest PPE standard for professional use. This will ensure other road users can clearly see your hand signals.
Also take the BHS Road Safety Course and Test (Contact BHS H.Q. for further details of local courses).

 

[ycbm]

If I am totally honest as little hi viz as you can get away with . there is a phenomena called hi viz blindness which is well known in H&S were if it becomes to common a sight your mind ignores it. I know I will get shot down for that .

Surely this relates to building sites and groups of manual workers? I doubt very much if it applies to individual or small groups of riders seen occasionally by drivers. Happy to be corrected if you can support your claim that it's safer for an individual to wear less high viz. The more my horse and I wear, the better reactions I get from drivers and cyclists.

 

[jules9203]

I have tried lots over the years. I've had different colours which don't seem to have made any difference. I have normally used yellow and silver with messages (written in black) such as 'Please pass wide and slow', 'young horse' etc. They don't seem to have made much difference either. I also have one saying 'you are on camera' which made some difference. The one I found made a major difference was the Polite range. I use it rarely but always the first time that I tale a youngster out as we don't have the quietest roads. I did have a driver tell me one day in the summer that the hi viz really stood out and they could see me despite the sum in their eyes, so I do wear some sort of hi viz out hacking all year round

 

[Nudibranch]

Pretty sure the young horse in training = admitting liability thing is a myth. Anyway personally, round here the best thing to slow drivers down is a nice long schooling whip with fluorescent (yellow) ribbon tied on the end. Sticks out into the road and gives the illusion of more width.
I have yellow and orange hi vis tops/jacket and to be honest both are hi vis so I don't care which I wear. The arguments about orange vs yellow are a bit pointless really. A lot of research has been done on visibility at sea, for example for divers, and the general conclusion is that each colour works slightly better in different light conditions. Therefore we carry inflatable rescue bouyancy markers which are orange one side and yellow the other.
The main thing is just to wear hi vis, whether it is orange or yellow.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have to say fatty and H wearing a polite rugs stops the traffic like nothing else two ID's two abreast they look like police horses .
I think my pink coat ruins it a bit .

 

[Goldenstar]

Orange and green work well in cities
Orange is clearly a bad idea in autumn in the countryside .
Yellow is not good in bright sunlight .
I like pink , it's girlie .

 

[Achinghips]

I think that most non horsey car drivers don't quite understand what they should do, apart from slow down, so I'm going to give the "please pass wide and slow" tabard a try. In my neck if the woods, it's the not passing wide enough that is the biggest problem, not the speed.
I'm wondering if the "young horse in training" would be just as effective as no one wants a horse on their bonnet.

 

[CazD]

I have to say fatty and H wearing a polite rugs stops the traffic like nothing else two ID's two abreast they look like police horses .

I'm not sure me and my 13.3hh pony will fool anyone!!!!

 

[Roisiny]

First time I'd ever seen anyone do this was 2 weeks ago out hunting when we were on quite a busy road and cars were whizzing by the other way, regardless of the fact there were 50+ horses other side of the road. Hunt master trotted straight towards the cars coming towards us. Couldn't believe it! It works but definitely have never seen as many angry drivers as that day! Don't think I'd ever be brave enough to attempt, but lucky in my area everyone loves to see horses on the road and I've had people lovely enough to stop and warn me there was a big tractor or something coming up!