'I was doing the speed limit'

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soloequestrian

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Riding along the very short section of road that I use today, I heard a car approaching fast, so stuck my right arm out and waved it up and down in the 'slow down' signal. The car didn't particularly slow, so as it went past I gesticulated in a manner that made my annoyance clear - thankfully the horse is good and didn't bother. The car stopped, reversed, the young man driving said 'I was doing the speed limit' (60mph, it's a country 'B' road), and then drove off before I had a chance to say anything more. I don't know if he thought I had been asking him to slow down TO the speed limit or what.
I had a fairly similar incident about a year ago, this time with someone driving a LWB land rover with trailer on along a narrow country 'unlisted' grade of road - he was much more aggressive, and tried to say that he was in the right because he was doing 'under the speed limit' (which he also thought was 60mph and I wasn't quick enough to say that it is only 50mph with a trailer on, and it wouldn't have been relevant because that is still too fast.....).
I only ride on the road occasionally (I usually lead because I can then fill a lot more of the road without having the horse too near the traffic), and while these incidents are fairly mild that is only because my horses are quite sensible.
The other thing I've had is people waving gaily back at me when I do the 'slow down' signal, without changing their speed at all.
I wondered if it would be useful to do some sort of educative campaign on Facebook, or has this already been done? People seem to think that as long as they are not speeding, they are in the right, and don't have much clue about hand signals. The highway code says this about it:
215
Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver.

Perhaps lots of people need to be reminded of this? And possibly given a mental picture of a rider lying crumpled on the tarmac with a broken neck?

What do people think?
 
Education seems to definitely be needed. Unfortunately, however, an image of a wrecked car caused by hitting a horse and rider may be the only way to get their attention. They really don't seem to care about anyone but themselves.
 
When I learnt to drive my instructor told that the speed limit was just that - the limit not the aim :)

You drive according to the conditions taking into account what else is happening on the road and not exceeding the speed limit.

The driver was a p*llock but you know that anyway...
 
I agree. It's a shame a TV campaign can't be run - especially in light of some of the recent collisions involving horses.

I went out on my mare this morning who for some reason today was horrendously badly behaved - spooking, rearing, bucking, napping etc. I had to use quite a lot of "slow down" and "stop" signals. The majority of drivers were excellent today, but I agree it's not always the case, and when you're riding something which is a bit unpredictable it can be quite frightening when you know that the horse is on the verge of turning itself inside out but you can also hear or see a car approaching.
 
They wont run decent TV campaigns because it offends the general public...

Doesn't really matter that losing friends, family and loved ones offends us though... it'll never happen. Sadly the first time most people will understand the impact of hitting a horse and rider on the road, is THE impact of hitting a horse and rider on the road.
 
I think watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY_CzPD2cYs&feature=player_embedded (sorry, not horsey and is doing the rounds on FB at the min!) its really made me think about the attitudes of some drivers. The fact that some people in that video (most in fact) seem completely fine with the fact that they are blocking the way of any emergency vehicles that may need to get through and 'just want to get home' really does say a lot. So, if people are going to be that inconsiderate to their own species, especially given how many people think of horses/horse riders, can we really expect the majority of people to be considerate when driving near horses!? I don't think so :(
I just wish there was a good way of raising awareness & understanding. :/ I don't enjoy hacking, but I'm perfectly confident about it - just not about the drivers!! My horse ISN'T particularly wonderful on the roads either, so now I think I will pretty much avoid hacking unless I have someone with me, as it's just safer. I understand it's up to me to make sure that he behaves on the road, but sadly I can't make him 100% better without going there in the first place and we can't just stay in the arena 7 days a week can we?
Then again, I slowed right down for some riders the other day & gave them enough space, and just got stared at like I had two heads then ignored... and another a few days after who on a narrow secion of road with a bridge, who insisted on slowing right down and not moving over although there was a large space to her left that she could have moved over onto. I wouldn't normally have minded but it's an awful bit of road, not a great place to stop the car and I didn't have a good view to go past her either! I found it a little irritating as if something had flown over the bridge behind me we would have all been in a mess! I can see why some drivers don't bother in a sense, though of course it doesn't make it any better.
Seems to have turned into a rant :o oh dear... my apologies!! OP I do definitely agree with you and am glad that you are ok!!
 
That's another part of it I think, riders should always be polite and appreciative of drivers (the majority in my case) who are considerate and careful. I have a system of 'thank yous', ranging from a smile, nod and wave to those who properly slow down, to a nod for those who slow down a little but not quite enough, to a glare/shout to those who act stupidly. Unfortunately I don't think the middle category understand that they could do more!
 
Works both ways sadly. Last week alone I passed;

5 riders - only one said thanks
2 riders riding two abreast and both on their phones
2 riders riding two abreast in the middle of a bendy road, no hi viz & were verbally abusive

The week before I was driving around a blind bend and was confronted by 3 riders, one of which was stopped on the bend. Someone was hit by a car and knocked unconscious on that very bend. Not one I'd be stood in the middle of.

Whilst riding earlier there was the odd few insisting on driving past us at 30mph + and there's always an idiot that tries overtaking horse and rider whilst riding across a motorway bridge.

I think riders should have to pass a road safety test and drivers' tests to involve education about the countryside.
 
Sometimes riders have good reason for not making a huge gesture of thanks - I guess we know that because we're riders, but a good horse safety advert at prime time, would definitely help educate others.
ie) I passed a lady riding and leading. She just smiled, which could be missed by people very easily - but that's ok, her hands were full!!
 
I hate riding on country roads. I hate it that it is legal to pass horses on a road barely wide enough for two little cars to pass one another at 60mph, only 10 mph less than the maximum motorway limit. It makes a complete joke of speed limits IMO. It is so dangerous for us riders but as far as the law is concerned, its our tough luck. It needs to be a law to pass horses at less than 15mph on minor roads and 30mph on open roads, or it will never get any better, only worse, as cars get more powerful and country roads get busier. :( :mad:
 
Yes it does work both ways.WE are supposed to nod and wave at all other road users,its very rare they do the same ;) (They'd probably be prosicuted if they did)
 
I often get over taken at over the speed limit, even though, if they are coming from behind, I turn my head round to make it clear I know they are coming, signal for them to slow down. If they do, I signal with my hand to say thank you and often say it as well with a smile of course. I was in the car with my OH today, and there was a man riding his horse (with no hat) down a main road with cars speeding past him, I told my OH to slow right down and give him a wide berth!!

Horses are very unpredictable, just yesterday I was on the road finishing my hack feeling extra pleased with how unspooky horse had been, when out of the blue he spooked at a bin (having already past numerous bins!) and flew from one side of the road to the other. Luckily nothing was coming in either direction, so no harm done but would have been a different story if someone was speeding past!
 
soloequestrian said:
the young man driving said 'I was doing the speed limit' (60mph, it's a country 'B' road),

Both my sons have taken & passed their driving tests in the last 2-3 years, both appear to have taken their instructor's 'instruction' (sorry!) to drive at or very near the speed limit when road condidions allow, to heart.
Mind you I'd be the first to take their keys away if I thought they were speeding passed horses. I know for a fact they wouldn't but that is because they have been brought up around horses/animals and understand how unpredictible they are. Its not just youngsters though driving too fast, too close etc. Round here its Mums with kids in their 4x4s who are the worst culprits.
Click to expand...
 
Bring on the tractors with the haylage bale on the spike at the back on a blind bend with mud in the road, will teach them a lesson they won't forget in a hurry. Actually that may be a bit cruel on the farmer to have a car embedded in the back of his tractor!!!
 
I did exactly the same thing once, i was on a young very spooky horse alone, and a truck with an open back came flying down the road doing 60+ in a 30, i waved my arm up and down to ask him to slow down, and he gave me the finger and accelerated faster.

I know not everyone knows horses but people really dont think. As he passed, my horse predictably cacked his pants. What will it take to make people slow down. It really isnt good enough!
 
There are always going to be complete idiots out there, who try to spook horses for fun, but I think the majority of drivers who act stupidly around horses are just plain clueless, and have either forgotten what they learned for their driving test or never really learned it in the first place. I was wondering if some sort of polite social networking campaign would be a good idea, to remind these Tim Nice But Dims how to act around horses, and perhaps remind horse riders how to act when people do actually show them courtesy? If everyone on HHO who is also on Facebook/other social site were to post a short piece on the problem, it would reach a lot of non-horsey people out there.
 
The trouble is when peole are taught to drive, they are taught to pass the test which will be in town. Also the majority of drivers will live & have all their pre test driving experience in town so when they do drive out on rural roads it is likely to be their first experience of it with no one to instruct. If you don't know rural life you won't know to drive like you expect to meet a tractor/ herd of cyclists/dog walker/horse round every bend. Lets face it most perole regard the highway code as something you learn to get through the theory test & then forget about.
 
If I took one hand off to wave 'thank you' to a driver passing or waiting behind, my youngster would end up in front of that car. I need two hands on the reins when on the roads, as she's very spooky. I nod and/or smile as that's what I CAN do without endangering lives/vehicles. D'you know, I've never once seen a bicycle rider say 'thank you' for passing them considerately, nor have I ever seen a bicycle pull in to let a stream of cars pass as horse riders frequently do.

I tend to ride with a long schooling whip, poking out into the road so that cars don't pass too close - otherwise they'd be an inch or two off my stirrup a lot of the time. We wear hi viz, and do the minimum of roadwork. Most cars are lovely, a few are idiots - it happens. Those idiots are WHY I ride two abreast on certain sections, so that when they pass us at 50mph 5 inches from the stirrup of the rider, the horse next to them won't jump sideways, and the one that might, hasn't the opportunity to. I've had cars scream round corners and squeeze between us and a parked car when there was only one horse, with two there's no room so they have to wait. Similarly on country lanes - ride in the middle of the road so they see you, THEN pull in and squueze past when they've slowed down.

Best way to make them listen? Ride an idiot youngster. My girl's a lot better now, but she taught an awful lot of people that horses are unpredictable, gave them a good fright and they slow down now! Conveniently, she usually just prats about on the right side of the road, but a good spin/rear and run backwards is quite effective!
 
I've done one on my status - great idea soloequestrian.

Here's what I wrote if anyone wants any inspiration:
To all my non horsey friends. Please pass horses with care, they are easilly scared and sometimes by the silliest things. Give as much space as you can and if you can't give much, please go slowly. We might not be able to show you while riding but we are always grateful for your consideration. We don't mean to slow down your journey or get in the way we're just trying to enjoy our horses safely. Thanks :)
 
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