Car Drivers

[Tallulabelle]

Went for a ride today, and new horse isn't overkeen to leave the yard. After I'd finished in the school I took her on the lead rope out the yard to get her used the road (country lane) been out once but with someone walking with me.

Car drove past us and he came around the bend quite fast, he saw us and didn't slow down, I put up my hand to ask him to slow down a little. By this time he had gone past us....to my horror he stopped, reversed back to us and wound his window down. He said he wasn't driving that quickly, I replied that I felt he was a little fast and he could have slowed down when he saw us.

I appreciate cars drive at a certain speed dependant on the road but surely as a common courtesy they could slow down when they see a horse?

Just a moan but wondered if others had experienced similar?

t

 

[its_noodles]

sounds like the guy is another bad-mannered driver...
i wouldn't engage in any argument or conversation with him at all...
unfortunately sometimes there is not a lot you can do...
may be talk to the local bhs branch and see if they can run some road safety awareness campaign, etc...or just make them aware of ur experience
glad u are ok...

 

[Tallulabelle]

To be honest I didn't want to talk to him, but I was on my own at the yard, and I had started to head back in but had a panic he might get out the car and get aggressive, so decided it might be best to hear him out!

I'm always and have been cautious when I drive past horses or bikes....sadly not everyone is the same!

 

[lhotse]

I had very similar happen to me last week, white van driving at me in a narrow lane with no intention of slowing down. I waved my arm and no response, so as he passed, I put my hand flat and shouted for him to slow down. He then stopped and out his head out of the window to ask why I had waved him down!! I explained, he couldn't hear so reversed. I just told him clearly that he can't pass a horse that fast on a narrow lane because if the horse spooked or slipped then I would be under the van and I don't want to be killed. Think he was a bit miffed but hopefully he took it on board.
I do think that sometimes drivers just don't know, and they need to actually be told what hand signals mean! Plus, what to them is a slow speed as actually too fast to us outside of the car! I think it's high time that the BHS really hammered home their safety message.

 

[Tallulabelle]

Ihotse, completely agree re differing views of speed, this driver wasn't speeding, however to drive past a horse it was to fast, yet he was sure he was in the right.