Lorries on Lanes

D

DougalJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 April 2008
Messages
603
Location
South
Visit site
I have just come back from my morning ride to have yet had another near miss with a lorry on very narrow lanes. This is the 3rd incident in as many weeks where I have encoutered speeding lorries or transit style vans belting around blind bends with me on the other side. The one I had a week ago the lorry had to pass me with his wing mirror nearly touching my face! He did apologise and said he wouldnt of seen me if I had not had my reflective on. The guy this morning I could hear belting towards the corner, I turned and trotted/cantered away for our lives - if I hadnt we would of hit each other - god forbid! Thank god I have a very rock solid horse in these situations. Sorry for my long rant and Im not sure there is any solution to this problem. Just keep wearing our reflectives and listen out with a good ear! Very frustrating though and as much as I dont want to get hurt, I would be mortified to have my horse seriously hurt on the road.
mad.gif
 
Well done for wearing the gear, it really is a life saver. So sorry to hear you have had such bad experiences. Everyone seems to be in such a rush these days.
crazy.gif
crazy.gif
 
I sometimes drive or am driven along roads where I ride or walk the dogs and when I look at it from a car, I think I must be mad.
At least with the dogs, when I see an artic coming, I can throw them in the ditch and jump in after them
blush.gif
 
Speak to your local council regarding the useage of the road.

And I'd also phone the companies for whom the lorries are operating - not necessarily as to complain, but just to asks them to advise their drivers to take care in these particular areas.
 
Oh and another thing, could it be a satnav thing?

There is a one-track lane a few miles from us and the satnav and google maps send lorries down it all the time as a main route from NI's second city to the coastal area where I live. Fun times when there is a tractor coming the other way.
Ironically it is not actually the easiest or quickest way to get from that particular A to B.
 
RosiiePimms - maybe becuase there arent any alternatives! Where I am stabled, it is surrounded by narrow lanes which I have to ride on to get anywhere, but people use it as a cut through. I have no alternative.
 
Well maybe take review on where you keep your horse. In a time where the vehicle outways the horse by about a million to one, and drivers seem to have less compassion than ever, I know as much as I have to ride my horse, I will not compromise my safety or my horse's safety in such a way. I have learned from previously experiences with complete tossers that its just not worth the risk.
 
Rosie, most of us have already given up riding on major roads, but in most areas it is absolutely impossible to hack out without some road work. Most bridleways join up to country roads and farm rides are too expensive to do all the time. The OP's right that the so called "quiet lanes" are getting more and more dangerous but if we don't use them, we'll find ourselves confined to arenas.

If people avoid riding on the roads, the drivers will expect us to be there less and less. The main problem, I think, is that people who learn to drive in cities, and stay in cities for the most part, really don't give horses a second thought.
frown.gif
 
Taken your comments on board but we have limited bridleways where we are - but we are in a very rural area with so called "quiet" lanes. I wouldnt dream of leaving where I am for too many reasons to mention and Im not be driven out of my great livery yard just because drivers cant drive with a little more care. I am a driver and I dont drive like a snail but I do drive like a snail around blind bends when the road is only the width of the car. Sat nav could be an issue but I appreciate that deliveries have to be made to houses. This was a skip lorry this morning but with no acknowledgment from the driver who nearly mowed us down....
 
I'm not justifying drivers actions, or why they drive like they do, I am simply saying this boils down to a very simple fact- a lot of people who drive genuinely believe that horses should not be on the road. whatever you wear, however considerately you ride, they still think you should not be on a road.
And in a way I agree- horses must be one of the biggest hazards on the road, bombproof or otherwise.
For that reason, standing your ground or whatever other reason you choose to ride out on roads which are particularly dangerous, i am simply trying to say that if you put yourselves in that position, and a collision or accident were to happen, your horse and yourselfe would, without a doubt, be the most injured party. With that in mind I am saying that to me the cons far outweigh the pros and I avoid roads where I think I may be in more danger than your average road.
 
This could go on forever! No road is ever safe, where ever it is. Rosie - I think you are being a bit silly saying "choose a yard where the roads are better!". Some of us dont have a choice! I live in a rural area where most of the roads that lead to bridleways are narrow and quiet and the majority of people expect there to be horses on the road, they are not dangerous roads as such, but every now and again you do get some idiot who races round the road. For that reason - I (and everyone on my yard) takes every precaution when riding to wear reflectives and listen out for cars/lorries. I think any road you ride on is potentially dangerous but unfortunately, some people dont have a choice, otherwise we would be resigned to a life of schooling - greart fun!! I love my yard, and generally the hacking is fantastic, apart from the odd wally driving like he should be in F1.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Rosie, most of us have already given up riding on major roads, but in most areas it is absolutely impossible to hack out without some road work. Most bridleways join up to country roads and farm rides are too expensive to do all the time. The OP's right that the so called "quiet lanes" are getting more and more dangerous but if we don't use them, we'll find ourselves confined to arenas.

If people avoid riding on the roads, the drivers will expect us to be there less and less. The main problem, I think, is that people who learn to drive in cities, and stay in cities for the most part, really don't give horses a second thought.
frown.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely spot on, totally agree, we cant all keep our horses in a priveledged area with miles of safe hacking, apart from that I dont see why we should be "bullied" off the roads, I'm not very good at being bullied
mad.gif
, if peole cant drive sensibly maybe they should have their licence took of them, it's not just us on the road, it could be another lorry or car or cyclist or walkers who are entitled to be there just the same.
 
[ QUOTE ]
This could go on forever! No road is ever safe, where ever it is. Rosie - I think you are being a bit silly saying "choose a yard where the roads are better!". Some of us dont have a choice! I live in a rural area where most of the roads that lead to bridleways are narrow and quiet and the majority of people expect there to be horses on the road, they are not dangerous roads as such, but every now and again you do get some idiot who races round the road. For that reason - I (and everyone on my yard) takes every precaution when riding to wear reflectives and listen out for cars/lorries. I think any road you ride on is potentially dangerous but unfortunately, some people dont have a choice, otherwise we would be resigned to a life of schooling - greart fun!! I love my yard, and generally the hacking is fantastic, apart from the odd wally driving like he should be in F1.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto
wink.gif
 
I think it's a big issue and tbh can see both sides to this. I agree that we aren't at fault for people's poor driving and we shouldn't be forced off the roads, BUT I wouldn't risk my horse on dangerous roads. I pick and chose where I hack far more carefully than many people I see.

We have a combination of quiet narrow lanes, which go nowhere and really are safe, and normal country roads, which I no longer ride along as they are too dangerous. Lots of people do ride, walk and cycle around us and it's only a metter of time till one of the many accidents on the roads near us involves a pedestrian, cyclist or animal.

I think the problem largely has to do in fact with how manouverable and fast cars have become cornering etc. people are able to go at 50 - 60mph on a narrow bendy road and so they do. They don't factor in other road users or their stopping distance. There has to be more education and information for people with vehicles about the hazards of blind corners on country roads & the rights of other road users along with more countryside opened up to riders/walkers & cyclists to get them off the road.
 
I'm not saying any roads are safe. To be honest i have spent the last month with a group of happy hackers who appear to have their heads stuffed well and truely up their arses when it comes to riding on roads- and I am not referring to anyone on here.
We are hated by a lot of motorists because there is a small percentage of us that appear to think we own the roads- we are a minority and a hazard and the sooner we all start to appriciate this and actually make more of an effort to be safe on roads, drivers might actually think twice about the whole thing.
Again, this is aimed at no one on here, I'm sure you all are able, sensible riders and the OP seemed to do the sensible thing.
You just see so many people riding three a breast, not thanking the considerate drivers that really I don't blame some motorists getting arsey about the whole situation.
You may well think my idea of changing yards because of road situations to be a stupid one- but I would sooner have piece of mind knowing I wasn't putting my self and my horses in that bit more danger every day being on a really crappy road.
 
I do think you get bad drivers eveywhere though. I have been on a yard on an A road - bad. On another yard in the middle of Rivington (glorious hacking) on the main roads in Rivi you got drivers speeding and loads of bikers. On current yard, it's in a quiet area but the road is 60mph - not ideal for hacking. I guess what I'm saying is, even somewhere like Rivington where you can go where ever you want, including schooling on open fields etc, you will still get traffic. I gave up hacking out on a Sunday as there were SO many motornikes, including an idiot who rode his bike BETWEEN us when we were riding two abreast
 
know just how you feel. i went for a ride other day and asked the cars behind me to stop . oncoming cars stopped 5 cars behind me did not give a **** and carried on i even truned round on my horse to ask them to stop i was not happy. why should we not ride on roads to get to where we want? horses where on the raods way before cars where. horses where used for alot back then and still horses can do alot more then cars. i am a car driver and i dont drive slow but i do take care when i see horses or blind bends been as i almost had a head on with another car on my side of road. it only takes 5 mins to wait or take care when passing a horse, but no them 5 mins mean everthing to them till the next bend aint so kind to there stupid careless driven. many drivers do not know the high waycode .
 
But no one would dream of telling pushbike riders or walkers to get off the roads, would they?
I am comparing with a bombproof (or as bombproof as possible) horse, here, they need the same amount of room to pass safely.
 
I would never say that, I ride on the road two or three times every day in the season but there are some roads I just will not ride on.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I find the "horses were on the road before cars" argument backwards and completely overdone.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I think we have to show equal respect. For instance I would not take a spooky/young horse along a road I knew that drivers would speed down or that was a busy road. However as a driver, on country roads, I expect to see horses/animal/farmers pegging it across the road and drive more cautiously. On the other side, if my horse has taken objection to something, and I am going backwards across the road, I would hope that the driver would have enough sense not to drive towards me without slowing down and then beep their horn continuously at me
crazy.gif


Basically I expect to behave in a safe manner on the roads and by doing so I expect drivers to behave in a safe manner back
 
i dont find in backwards or completely overdone. car drivers do not care who or what is on road be it a pushbike or walkers to car owners there saying is we pay car tax to drive on the roads as we please. so if we was to pay horse tax does that mean we have as much righ as a car driver ??? stick the tax on my horses bum....lol why should we be pushed off the roads. i have talked to many drivers to get there views on horses on roads and to me there backwards and overdone. to say we pay tax to drive as we please and no we dont have 5 mins to pass you as you should not be on roads been as there all them fileds go in them.
 
well you do get drivers who say horses shouldn't be on roads, and I don't agree with that. I do agree that you should respect the dangers of the road, and try to choose which ones you ride on to a degree. I understand for some people this isn't possible though. I try to kill car drivers with kindness - over exaggerated thank yous etc
 
[ QUOTE ]
i dont find in backwards or completely overdone. car drivers do not care who or what is on road be it a pushbike or walkers to car owners there saying is we pay car tax to drive on the roads as we please. so if we was to pay horse tax does that mean we have as much righ as a car driver ??? stick the tax on my horses bum....lol why should we be pushed off the roads. i have talked to many drivers to get there views on horses on roads and to me there backwards and overdone. to say we pay tax to drive as we please and no we dont have 5 mins to pass you as you should not be on roads been as there all them fileds go in them.

[/ QUOTE ]
We do have as much right as a car driver, but the fact remains we are minority and often become overlooked. They see it as a 60mph road and don't understand why they should slow down for horses, for whatever reason. But sticking your neck out to prove a point by riding irrisponsibly like I have seen some doing, and being outwardly rude to drivers in no way to ressolve things and will put them and their horse in more danger of an accident.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I find the "horses were on the road before cars" argument backwards and completely overdone.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about the "just about every road user has priority over cars, lorries and vans" argument, then?
wink.gif
(This includes pedestrians, cyclists, horses/riders, livestock... almost everything!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top