Really Bad Road

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browbrow

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Hello

I was hoping some of you may help me.

I am on a yard at the mo that has great hacking ..... but there is one problem ...... To get to the hacking you have to ride on a really flat country road which is about 1/2 mile long in total - although you dont ride on all of it. Now the thing about this road is its a great driving road for cars and its NATIONAL SPEED limit. Although the road is not really narrow so there is room to pass, I frequently get passed by cars going at speeds of 80+MPH and quite close. My horse is bombproof but does not particulary like this stretch we have to go on. The road isnt that busy, you may meet 20 cars in a ten minute road ride but some of them go extremly fast. There are no verges or path we can walk on.

I am moving yards soon so wont have to go on this road too much BUT I am, very worried that there is going to be an accident etc...... so plan to try and do something about it to protect everyone which includes walkers and bikers , and make it safer. Load of people moan about this road but NO ONE doea anything about it - so I am!! :-)

Now I havent thought too much about how I am going to do it yet ..... But has anyone complained to local authourities about roads, and who have you been in touch with? I really do think a good old speed camera would COMPLETLY BANISH the
problem. The problem is that its such a good driving road people just go daft and go even faster to get us riders out of the way!! Its realy funny as the motobikes always slow to a dead stop bless them! We as riders always wear tabbards etc and try to ride in pairs but the pairs thing is out now due to changes in the law.

Please no advice on 'dont use the road' as there is no other way top get off the yard which is a shame.

Any ideas? And thanks for your comments.
 
I find if you turn around when you hear a car and try to make eye contact with the driver it really helps to slow them down. I know it won't work for all of them, but there is a good chance it may work for quite a few! Good luck - drivers are such a pain!
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PS - make sure you thank them though when they do slow down....this makes any cars behind more likely to slow as well....
 
Hello

Thanks for that but unfortunatly it has gome too far beyond turning round and making eye contact - I have tried this - and even tried turning round and thanking them prior to slowing down but most of them arent even LOOKING at us that just pretend we dont exist.

We are all very greatful when drives pass us - always say thanks and a big smile but its not working - in fact the road is getting worse because drivers are getting used to the horses more and more and as no one has had an accident YET- they are getting faster and faster - assuming that its ok to go passed !!

I have had my strirrup iron clipped twice this year already - thank god cars that did it were just slow and trying to squeeze past while cars on the other side of the road are present.

Thanks
 
We have several roads like this around by me. One of the larger livery yards exits directly on to a fast road - and was very successful in petioning the council to erect signs warning drivers that there were people riding on the roads, and to take appropriate action.

That would be my first port of call.
 
Thanks Amy May

I have thought of a petition - I think I will try and do that - the council and highways have put up warning signs but they havent worked - the temptation of blasting down this road is just too much!!

I have sent an email off to the highways dept - just now - its an address that I have been given off them to report all dangourous roads used by people/bikes/horses - so lets hope I hear something!
:-)
 
The visibility is very good in places - you can see horse coming from a mile off but it has one nasty dip so you cant see what is coming etc - the road is about 15 metres wide.
 
hmm...sounds like a particularly nasty road! I think the way forward is to just keep pestering the highway dept and get as many people to join you as you can. Or you could get someone to stand at the side of the road with a fake speed camera when you want to hack...
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(sorry - that's not very helpful, I know!)
 
I had thought of the fake speed camera thing - I bet my yard would put one up - not sure if its legal or not? :-0

Thanks for you comments - all helpful and useful!! :-)
 
[ QUOTE ]
The visibility is very good in places - you can see horse coming from a mile off but it has one nasty dip so you cant see what is coming etc - the road is about 15 metres wide.

[/ QUOTE ]
It sounds exactly like the road by me. Essentially as long as visability is good, and cars are able to pass you giving you plenty of space, then personally I don't see a problem. Amy was never brilliant in traffic. But providing she was given space, never had a problem with fast roads. Obviously the problems can come when you hit a blind spot - but warning signs can at least let drivers know of the possibility of riders on the road.
 
Hi
Contact your local council Traffic and Highway department, its best to do this by letter. If your yard has a significant ammount of horses leaving the yard and using the road, not sure of the figures you are in with a good chance of getting horse rider warning signs. I did it for a friends yard in Bradford, the engineer came out accessed the situation and they had signs up within 6 weeks.
 
Well Amy May - thanks for the comments - Personally think drivers have no excuse when travelling at high speed going past horses and not keeping a good distance - esp when they have plenty of time to see what is happening most of the time- but hey thats me! I also wouldnt even dream of hacking out on a horse thats not as near 100% in traffic as could be as its not fair on drivers but thats me personally, and plus I wouldnt dare - so its not like we are being risky with unpredictable horses etc.....

Thanks anyway - I hope I dont ever have to come on this forum to inform people of a accident because idiots cant slow dont for 20 metres. But whats a life ?!
 
Ah well thats good news as we are very close to bradford!! and its bradford council who we are with - I have contacted them - Like I said we do have signs already but they arent well placed so maybe another push will help!!

Many Many Thanks - Brow :-)
 
Hey, why are you attacking me? I wasn't having a go at you or your concerns, which are absolutely legitmate. I was just giving you my personal experience on a horse that wasn't 100% in traffic, as an example of how speed isn't always the enemy - but that distance is. I absolutely agree you should be concerned about a road that you consider dangerous. And the fact that you are trying to do something about it is admarable.

Calm down - I was not critisizing you.
 
Oh I am calm - I did not think twice about attacking you back - I didnt think you were attacking me I am just letting you know my opinion and in the first mail explained that cars speed past and its worrying ?

I didnt really want opinions on what people thought of my road as it would be unfair to ask that as none of you guys could ever comment without being there (mean that in a nice way towards you guys)- just wanted advice on how to go about getting something sorted because without a doubt the road is very bad so no need to go into that.

I am really pleased with the helpful advice on how to slow cars down - the biggest thing that scares the horses is the noise a car makes at 60 -90 mph - its awful - its really scary - wether 3, 5 or 10 metres away.

so thanks once again
 
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