Horse rider dies on road after incident with motorbike on a blind bend

[Miss_Millie]

I think there needs to be a national campaign reminding people of the dangers of driving too fast around blind bends.

I hacked out the other day and on every single bend I had cars whizzing round the bend behind me. Not a single car slowed down to take the bend.

I feel that country lanes shouldn't be National Speed Limit. Most people drive much too fast on these little winding lanes with tall hedges, it really isn't safe.

 

[SEL]

I feel that country lanes shouldn't be National Speed Limit. Most people drive much too fast on these little winding lanes with tall hedges, it really isn't safe.

Completely agree. I've had drivers yell at me that the road past my yard is 60 - it is national speed limit but 60 is far from safe down it

 

[Tiddlypom]

I feel that country lanes shouldn't be National Speed Limit. Most people drive much too fast on these little winding lanes with tall hedges, it really isn't safe.

Indeed .

I nearly got rear ended on a blind bend near home by a driving school instructor driving his liveried driving school car . My bombproof horse and I were doing everything right, were hi vizzed up as per my avatar, and were accompanied by my hi vizzed ninja cyclist who is a qualified Advanced Driver. Perfect weather conditions, too. I reported him and the police had a little chat, but no further action.

OH and I had both checked behind before entering the bend and there was no sign of him then, he must have been gunning it along the straight before the bend. A driving instructor, fgs .

It's a NSL lane, but when the hedges are overgrown, as they were that day, a safe speed to negotiate the bend is no more than 15mph. As it is, drivers go haring round it far too fast and in the middle of the road. They seem so surprised to have to jam on the brakes when they meet someone else doing the same thing coming the other way .

 

[southerncomfort]

Indeed .

I nearly got rear ended on a blind bend near home by a driving school instructor driving his liveried driving school car . My bombproof horse and I were doing everything right, were hi vizzed up as per my avatar, and were accompanied by my hi vizzed ninja cyclist who is a qualified Advanced Driver. Perfect weather conditions, too. I reported him and the police had a little chat, but no further action.

OH and I had both checked behind before entering the bend and there was no sign of him then, he must have been gunning it along the straight before the bend. A driving instructor, fgs .

It's a NSL lane, but when the hedges are overgrown, as they were that day, a safe speed to negotiate the bend is no more than 15mph. As it is, drivers go haring round it far too fast and in the middle of the road. They seem so surprised to have to jam on the brakes when they meet someone else doing the same thing coming the other way .

Is it me or are driving instructors the absolute b****y worst!?

I ALWAYS have to ask them to slow down!

 

[VRIN]

I had a learner driver come so close to my horse as he tried to drive past that my horse kicked out and dented his bonnet. No damage to horse fortunately. The driving instructor started to remonstrate with me but as I pointed out he was clearly to close - how else could my horse have made contact, it wasn't as though we were going backwards!

 

[SEL]

We have big ditches here and they regularly collect cars going too fast round the blind bends who oversteer to correct themselves. The classic response was one of the Amazon drivers who said it's 60 mate I was doing less than that. Safe speed around those bends is probably 15 - he wasn't doing that

And the ditches are deep enough that when they've collected the car it needs a specialist to hook it out so a pricey lesson

And completely agree about driving instructors! Did anyone see the footage on the PWAS FB page of the instructor who got bored waiting behind a horse so got his learner driver to swing into the opposite traffic to pass it? A proper WTF moment.

This post has prompted me to chase our parish council who have been trying hard with Buck CC to sort out speed limits. I think it's like wading through treacle

 

[j1ffy]

I feel very lucky reading these posts - although the lanes around my yard are pretty narrow and drivers go too fast, they are mostly very good around horses with just the odd idiot (usually on weekends when non-locals visit the NT site at the top of the hill).

I get more nervous when driving as I've had a few close shaves with large lorries going too fast for the windy roads, I've had to swerve out of their way / stop quickly and tuck right into the hedge at times. It makes me very anxious about driving my horse box down the same roads as there have been a couple of occasions when it's been close enough in a car, let alone a larger vehicle (and that's ignoring the actual contact made on the day I bought my new horse lorry - that one was just an idiot driver who had probably been drinking). More and more vehicles seem to be incapable of tucking into their side of the road and expect everyone else to slow down / get out of the way while they keep coming at the same speed.

 

[ester]

I’m regularly amazed at people’s ability to see round blind corners

 

[Hallo2012]

I’m regularly amazed at people’s ability to see round blind corners

curvy eyeballs innit.......

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I recently put a post on regarding the signs the BHS have created. Apparently you can't have them unless you are in an area that has had a lot of reported incidents. Surely this is fire fighting. Surely the signs should go up to remind drivers of the highway code to prevent an accident, not wait until there has been one?????!!

 

[SEL]

I recently put a post on regarding the signs the BHS have created. Apparently you can't have them unless you are in an area that has had a lot of reported incidents. Surely this is fire fighting. Surely the signs should go up to remind drivers of the highway code to prevent an accident, not wait until there has been one?????!!

We wanted some where bridlepaths come out onto roads with poor visibility - couldn't get them.

 

[Landcruiser]

Poor Jayne, and all best wishes to her family and friends. She was the person that took off my horse's (in my avatar) shoes and started him off barefoot, 14 long years ago.

I wish the BHS or better yet the govt would run a campaign about safety regarding vunerable road users. I'd be happy to chip in.
Over recent weeks a group of 4/5 youngsters locally to me seem to have acquired small, loud, fast motorbikes, and several times a week (or even sometimes several times a day) they thrash past our place which is on a long straight section of a NSL B road, with a blind bend 100m from my yard gate. Sometimes they even wheelie past, as they speed up from the bend. I am really worried about meeting them when I have my youngster out in hand..the only mitigating factor is she is more than familiar with the sound of the damn things, even if she can't see them through the hedge. I call them "The Tw@ts." They are literally an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Fransurrey]

I think there needs to be a national campaign reminding people of the dangers of driving too fast around blind bends.

I hacked out the other day and on every single bend I had cars whizzing round the bend behind me. Not a single car slowed down to take the bend.

We had some numpty on an endurance ride come flying round a blind bend in her open top merc. I shouted to slow down, but by then she was already next to the third rider in our group, who got the classic 'I was only doing 30!'. That rider tried to tell her that 30 round a single width country road was too fast, and was told to eff off. Nice.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

We wanted some where bridlepaths come out onto roads with poor visibility - couldn't get them.
You can buy them, about £42 for 2 but need land owners permission to put them up.

 

[SO1]

RIP Jayne and awful if the motorbike rider is not being held to account for this if they are responsible due to dangerous driving.

If this is a financial decision by the BHS I would suggest they do a campaign to raise funds to enable any yard to get one of these if they want to display, just because there has been no accident does not mean there will be no near misses. I am a BSH member so I will email and suggest this.

I had a car and motorbike over take me at the same time the motorbike came between me and the car. Luckily Homey was very good in traffic the motorbike was so close it was quite alarming.

At my old yard I also had an incident with someone malicious with a caterham car. They were speeding up a hill I asked them to slow down they didn't they speeded up and Homey normally exceptional in traffic was frightened by this racing car coming past at top speed spun and slipped over and fell on the road. Luckily I was just near the yard gate and we escaped with minor grazes but I still got the vet to come and check he was ok. Later on I found out he had done the same to a child was was being lead on a lead rein by their mother on foot when the lead rein pony didn't react he turned round and deliberately drove past again at speed. Unfortunately neither of us were able to get his number plate. I expect he might have been on drugs or something as no idea why someone would deliberately try to frighten a child's pony on a lead rein. I could also very easily be mistaken for a child on a pony as well due.

Thankfully we never saw him again locally.

I recently put a post on regarding the signs the BHS have created. Apparently you can't have them unless you are in an area that has had a lot of reported incidents. Surely this is fire fighting. Surely the signs should go up to remind drivers of the highway code to prevent an accident, not wait until there has been one?????!!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Horrific. I don’t know the lady but thoughts with her family.

Why is everyone blaming the motorcyclist? From what I’ve seen he came round a blind bend which could well have scared the horse but doesn’t necessarily mean he was at fault or have I missed something?

 

[holeymoley]

How terribly sad. I don't know much about what has happened.

I ride on a short stretch of A road, must be about 100yards. It actually starts as soon as the 30mph signs start and the amount of people that are still doing 40/50mph is unreal as they are entering/exiting the village. I've ridden it since 2005 when my horse was a youngster. Now that's not a million years ago, but back then 99% of road users slowed down, were courteous and gave way to us on the road. Fast forward to now, and it's a different kettle of fish. Traffic capacity has increased ten fold. No-one cares about anyone else. You're lucky if anyone even comes off the accelerator to pass. HGV's are the best, bog standard car drivers are the worst.

 

[Velcrobum]

Horrific. I don’t know the lady but thoughts with her family.

Why is everyone blaming the motorcyclist? From what I’ve seen he came round a blind bend which could well have scared the horse but doesn’t necessarily mean he was at fault or have I missed something?

See post #5

 

[Tiddlypom]

See post #5

Indeed.

Wiltshire Police have put out an appeal for witnesses to contact their serious collision investigation team. That implies that there was physical contact between the motorcyclist and/or the motorbike and the rider and/or the horse, so not simply an unseated rider. If the motorbike was seen being ridden dangerously I hope that the motorcyclist is charged.

Any witnesses to the incident are asked to contact the serious collision investigation team on 01225 694597 quoting log number 221 of yesterday’s date. Alternatively, they can contact the team directly at SCIT@wiltshire.police.uk.

 

[minesadouble]

Indeed.

Wiltshire Police have put out an appeal for witnesses to contact their serious collision investigation team. That implies that there was physical contact between the motorcyclist and/or the motorbike and the rider and/or the horse, so not simply an unseated rider. If the motorbike was seen being ridden dangerously I hope that the motorcyclist is charged.

Any witnesses to the incident are asked to contact the serious collision investigation team on 01225 694597 quoting log number 221 of yesterday’s date. Alternatively, they can contact the team directly at SCIT@wiltshire.police.uk.

I've read post 5 and from the content I'm assuming there already are witnesses if people seem to know the full story of what happened?

 

[JoA]

So sad. Like many, I don't know this lady, but my thoughts are with her family and friends at this dreadful time.

I live on a single track country lane with a national speed limit. It has several bends and a few straight sections. I wrote to the council 25+ years ago, having moved here and was told that our lane had been "forgotten" about when the area became largely 30mph and that funds had now run out and this lane would not be 'revisited' regarding speed restrictions. About 2yrs ago I contacted the council again following several incidents of drivers ending up in the ditch opposite my house. I was informed that despite my part of the lane being "fairly densely populated" the road was classed as "self regulating" regarding speeds ( due to the bends) and that following the £14,000 cost to reduce a 60mph to 40mph for just several hundred yards in the village near me, there were no funds avaliable to address our problem. I wrote back and asked if there would be a change in attitude were there a fatality. I didn't get a response!!

 

[SEL]

So sad. Like many, I don't know this lady, but my thoughts are with her family and friends at this dreadful time.

I live on a single track country lane with a national speed limit. It has several bends and a few straight sections. I wrote to the council 25+ years ago, having moved here and was told that our lane had been "forgotten" about when the area became largely 30mph and that funds had now run out and this lane would not be 'revisited' regarding speed restrictions. About 2yrs ago I contacted the council again following several incidents of drivers ending up in the ditch opposite my house. I was informed that despite my part of the lane being "fairly densely populated" the road was classed as "self regulating" regarding speeds ( due to the bends) and that following the £14,000 cost to reduce a 60mph to 40mph for just several hundred yards in the village near me, there were no funds avaliable to address our problem. I wrote back and asked if there would be a change in attitude were there a fatality. I didn't get a response!!

We keep getting quoted exorbitant costs too. One of the local residents pointed out the signs were already there, they just needed to replace the round bit at the top. She said if they supplied the new signs the village would fit them.

Silence .....

 

[Spotherisk]

When I lived in the UK I was fortunate in that I didn’t encounter impatient and/or aggressive drivers either in cars or on bikes in my corner of Dartmoor. The bikers especially were very considerate. I met an awful lot of complete knobs when driving my car however.

Your corner has changed massively since Covid. New owners at the Liverton yard do not allow people to ride through, the lanes are very busy with non-horsy drivers, the fly tipping is increasing, and I rarely see a horse on the roads (there is no horse poo around either, so it’s not that I’m just not seeing them).

 

[paddy555]

When I lived in the UK I was fortunate in that I didn’t encounter impatient and/or aggressive drivers either in cars or on bikes in my corner of Dartmoor. The bikers especially were very considerate. I met an awful lot of complete knobs when driving my car however.

I think I am a bit further over onto the moor and so far (touch wood) we seem to be OK. A couple of farmers who are impatient twats but the rest are mostly OK still. The bikers are still good. I have personally trained the Sunday trials motorbikers . I couldn't do much about them so engaged with them many times to educate them. Now they see the horses and nearly fall into the hedge in their haste to stop and turn off their engines.

The cyclists are a different matter. We have either the "I am in lycra and I keep my brains down there and I am going to get past you at any cost. I don't mind if my pedal hits the horse's legs as I am too think to realise a horse could kick" brigade.

Alternatively we have the "stop instantly because my wife has a horse and has drilled how to behave into me" brigade. Thanks to those ladies. Good work

hadn't read this thread before and totally shattered when I realised it was Jayne Hunt. RIP Jayne. So sad.

 

[PeterNatt]

If I could give you some advice that would be to ensure that you ask your local County Councils to include Equestrians (Horse Riders and Carriage Drivers) within the review of their next Local Transport Plan as Vulnerable Road Users that way if you require speed restrictions and/or signage they will be complelled to provide them. In addition make sure that Equestrians are included within Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans, Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure, Active Travel and also Greenways. As soon as youn hear they are carrying out a review make sure that you contact your local BHS Access Officer who will be pleased to assist you in ensuring Equestrians are included within them.

 

[Quigleyandme]

Your corner has changed massively since Covid. New owners at the Liverton yard do not allow people to ride through, the lanes are very busy with non-horsy drivers, the fly tipping is increasing, and I rarely see a horse on the roads (there is no horse poo around either, so it’s not that I’m just not seeing them).

I could never ever come back StR. I couldn’t give up the joy of living in a detached house surrounded by my own land with just one other house in sight, having horses at home, my wonderful, kind neighbours who are always willing to help, My 16 hectare bog that supports a myriad of fascinating life forms from microscopic plants to wild geese, the absence of traffic, the clean air, super fast and reliable 5G, free parking, no council tax, no overbearing legislation about every damn thing, breathtaking scenery, the Wild Atlantic Way, really good roads, more or less competent government and I qualify for free public transport all over the island of Ireland next year. On the other hand it does rain a lot, I spend a goodly proportion of my life weeding as everything grows like it’s on steroids and I can’t graze all year like I could in Devon.

 

[Caol Ila]

I could never ever come back StR. I couldn’t give up the joy of living in a detached house surrounded by my own land with just one other house in sight, having horses at home, my wonderful, kind neighbours who are always willing to help, My 16 hectare bog that supports a myriad of fascinating life forms from microscopic plants to wild geese, the absence of traffic, the clean air, super fast and reliable 5G, free parking, no council tax, no overbearing legislation about every damn thing, breathtaking scenery, the Wild Atlantic Way, really good roads, more or less competent government and I qualify for free public transport all over the island of Ireland next year. On the other hand it does rain a lot, I spend a goodly proportion of my life weeding as everything grows like it’s on steroids and I can’t graze all year like I could in Devon.

Sounds like we all need to move to the West Coast of Ireland. Good music as well.

 

[Spotherisk]

I could never ever come back StR. I couldn’t give up the joy of living in a detached house surrounded by my own land with just one other house in sight, having horses at home, my wonderful, kind neighbours who are always willing to help, My 16 hectare bog that supports a myriad of fascinating life forms from microscopic plants to wild geese, the absence of traffic, the clean air, super fast and reliable 5G, free parking, no council tax, no overbearing legislation about every damn thing, breathtaking scenery, the Wild Atlantic Way, really good roads, more or less competent government and I qualify for free public transport all over the island of Ireland next year. On the other hand it does rain a lot, I spend a goodly proportion of my life weeding as everything grows like it’s on steroids and I can’t graze all year like I could in Devon.

I don’t blame you, it’s years since I’ve been to Ireland but I’ve always loved my visits. Your old field has sold again - advertised as offers over £250k!

 

[blitznbobs]

awful news. I was hit by a car whilst hacking as a child and very rarely ride on the roads - to me its just not worth the risk anymore. It only takes one moron to end a life

 

[maisie06]

Indeed .

I nearly got rear ended on a blind bend near home by a driving school instructor driving his liveried driving school car . My bombproof horse and I were doing everything right, were hi vizzed up as per my avatar, and were accompanied by my hi vizzed ninja cyclist who is a qualified Advanced Driver. Perfect weather conditions, too. I reported him and the police had a little chat, but no further action.

OH and I had both checked behind before entering the bend and there was no sign of him then, he must have been gunning it along the straight before the bend. A driving instructor, fgs .

It's a NSL lane, but when the hedges are overgrown, as they were that day, a safe speed to negotiate the bend is no more than 15mph. As it is, drivers go haring round it far too fast and in the middle of the road. They seem so surprised to have to jam on the brakes when they meet someone else doing the same thing coming the other way .

I hope you left "feedback" on all his socials - I certainly would have....