Parliamentary debate 5 November road safety

Reacher

Reacher

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Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere but BHS are calling for equestrians to email their MP before Monday 5 November to ask that equestrians are not omitted from advice in the updated Highway Code.
This give a link to a email template which summarises the issue.
In email to your MP you need to include your full name, address and postcode.
Can’t understand why the appeal has been sent out last minute unless I’ve just missed previous emails, which is quite possible
https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-charity/...TfrhJQpavmV70mO8bvJ8yX2sI9HvD0A8PNoydoQVgaS-c
 
Reacher

Reacher

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Thanks everyone - and bump! I agree Meleeka , I can’t understand why the email was sent out so late either (unless I’ve missed an earlier email)
 
JanetGeorge

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My MP has had my version - a bit personalised, I think, might have more effect on your MP.

"Dear Philip,

It appears it has been forgotten (again) that horse riders are road users too – and very vulnerable. In the DfT press release, Jesse Norman MP said “Britain has some of the safest roads in the world, but we need them to be safer for all, particularly cyclists, pedestrians and other road users.” Pedestrians and cyclists re nowhere near as vulnerable as horse riders because – other than young children – they have a far better chance of seeing trouble coming and acting quickly. And – strangely enough – although horses are bigger, far too many drivers choose to ignore them.

Hardly a day goes by without my staff having a near miss on young horses – even the older ones are vulnerable to drivers who hurl past, too close – even on the ‘quiet’ roads around Stottesdon. Even if a horse takes off in front of/beside a car or lorry, too many drivers will still rush past – often with a blast on the horn to add to the horse’s fear. Getting safely to a bridleway is always a challenge. 85% of road incidents involving horses are because drivers pass too fast or too close to horses. Of course, many drivers are too dim to realize that hitting a horse could easily result in a driver or a passengers death too when the horse comes through the windscreen with force.

The review of the Highway Code should include, at the very least, a strengthening of Sec 215 (Horse Riders and horse drawn vehicles) to include the British horse Society’s Dead Slow advice to drivers on how to pass horses safely."
 
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Orangehorse

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Don't just copy and paste, they filter out such emails. Personalise it a bit - an incident you have suffered, etc. What is very easy is the WritetoThem website. Put in your postcode and a list of Councillors and MP will appear and there is a very easy facility for you to write a letter to them.
The BHS has been urging riders to write for two or three weeks, but the debate on Monday has only just come to light.
 
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Surbie

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If anyone is interested the debate is now on Hansard:
Road Safety debate 05 November 2018

Credit to the 9 MPs who spoke up in support of the Dead Slow campaign - particularly Vicky Ford (Con) and Chris Elmore (Lab) who spoke at length on it.

Jesse Norman MP's summing up sentence about horse riders and carriage drivers is as follows
'Horse riders are vulnerable road users—there is no doubt about that, and there never has been—and they have been included in the work we are doing.'

Which I read as disappointing and fairly dismissive.
 
fburton

fburton

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Surbie said:
Jesse Norman MP's summing up sentence about horse riders and carriage drivers is as follows
'Horse riders are vulnerable road users—there is no doubt about that, and there never has been—and they have been included in the work we are doing.'

Which I read as disappointing and fairly dismissive.
Click to expand...
Disappointing for a Conservative MP, who ought to know better.

Thanks for posting the Hansard link.
 
Nayumi1

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My MP finally responded to my email following this. Her response:

Thank you for contacting me recently about the revision of the Highway Code.

As you know, the Department for Transport (DfT) is currently reviewing the Highway Code, as part of its broader consideration of the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and all vulnerable road users. The new Highway Code is expected to include guidance on how to avoid close passing and new measures to encourage people to use the 'Dutch reach' - which forces drivers to look over their shoulder for passing traffic while opening a car door.

I welcome the DfT's review of the Highway Code. I appreciate that road safety is an issue of real concern to many people in our area and across the UK. In addition, I believe it is important that all road users feel safe and are not put at undue risk.

I know that figures recorded by the British Horse Society indicate there were 2,900 road accidents reported between November 2010 and March 2018. In addition, I am aware that 230 horses have died and 39 riders have been killed in the same timeframe. Clearly the Government must take action to address this pressing issue.

In your letter you express concerns that horse riders are not included in the review of the Highway Code. I am aware that the Minister with responsibility for road safety recently provided assurances that the road safety review would include advice on overtaking all vulnerable road users, including horse riders. He also committed to look into the suggestion that the Highway Code could be amended to include the 'Dead Slow' advice provided by the British Horse Society on overtaking horse riders, which encourages drivers to slow down to 15mph, be patient, pass wide, and drive away slowly.

The DfT is expected to report back on this issue by the end of the year. I hope the DfT listens carefully to the serious concerns raised so far, particularly regarding the close passing of vulnerable road users. I can assure you I will follow this issue closely as it progresses.

More generally, I am concerned that progress on road safety has stalled. I believe we should reset the UK's road safety vision and ambitiously strive for a transport network with zero deaths.

Thank you once again for contacting me. I believe that more could be done on road safety and I will continue to press the Government on this matter.
 
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Orangehorse

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Also write to the Scrutinity Committee of the Agriculture Bill to ask if payment to landowners/farmers for access (similar to the old Higher Level Entry Scheme) can be included in the Agriculture Bill "for public good."

If you ask to join the Facebook Horse Access Campaign UK there is a whole lot of information including what other people have sent in and all the details of addresses, etc. Do it now as the closing date for consultation will be soon.
 
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