Road safety - Horse magazine needs your input!

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HORSE Mag

HORSE Mag

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www.horsemagazine.co.uk
Dear all,

In the October issue of Horse, we'll be featuring our road safety special, with a free car sticker for every UK reader, as well as great offers to help you and your horse stay safer on the roads.

We'd also like the users of HHO to share your thoughts.

* Have you been involved in a road accident while riding? Please share your experiences by emailing victoria_spicer@ipcmedia.com

* What would you, the users of HHO, do to make things safer for riders? If you had the power to make real changes to help equestrian road users, what would they be? Again, please do email victoria_spicer@ipcmedia.com or post below.

Many thanks

Victoria
 
I think that riders should be made to wear hi-viz vests as a minimum, and that people should be encouraged to take Riding and Road Safety tests.

For other road users, more safety awareness campaigns at sensible times of day (ie not 3am) should be available

We need more bridleways/toll ride schemes! Let's face it, none of us would choose to ride on the road unless we have to!!
 
...and that's what should be made aware to drivers too, the fact we wouldn't use roads if more bridleways were re-opened
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yes, had a horse that's been in an accident, quite a nasty one if you say that horse on roof of car is hit hard enough, and I can't advocate hiviz enough...it saved me thousands in court for sure!!

It should be a legal requirement to wear hiviz (and with most insurance companies it seems it now is), not just for riders, but cyclists too, both are at danger from cars if not seen definately!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think that riders should be made to wear hi-viz vests as a minimum, and that people should be encouraged to take Riding and Road Safety tests.

For other road users, more safety awareness campaigns at sensible times of day (ie not 3am) should be available

We need more bridleways/toll ride schemes! Let's face it, none of us would choose to ride on the road unless we have to!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I would echo everything that bexj said. Riders should wear as much hi-viz as possible- my mare and I go out looking like a Christmas tree- vest on me, sheet on her, flashing leg bands, flashing red hat led at back and white headlamp at the front! I'd rather that and be seen than end up in an accident.

I cut down on the lights during the summer unless evening time when the light may be going, but still wear vest, exercise sheet (it's mesh, so no overheating) and boots with hi-viz/reflective stripes on all fours.

A better campaign to make non-horsey drivers more aware would really help as although a lot of people must have enough common sense to think that a horse and rider would require being passed wide and slow, many seem not to and even if it helps a small number, it's surely better than nothing?

I always stick as close to the edge as possible when being passed, give drivers a big grin and wave thank you/nod if I can't wave when they pass politely, trying to do my best for positive rider PR!
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Personally I wish the BHS road safety exam was more widely available and promoted. With regards to roads being more dangerous - car drivers don't seem to have respect for horses and a great many of them seem happy to pass at 30 mph getting as close to the horse as thy can
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Having been the victim of two road accidents (both were caused by the driver) I can no longer take my once traffic safe mare on the road
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I don't understand why people don't wear high viz. We were involved in an accident in the middle of summer one Sunday afternoon whilst wearing high viz. Luckly the car swerved just in the nick of time and just missed my daughters pony. The car ended up in the ditch, If she hadn't had high viz on he may not have seen her in time.

We have a lot yards around us and we never see them out wearing high viz we are the exception. I think its a lot worse now than I remember it being when I was younger.
 
I'm going to go against grain - there is no need to make it LAW to wear hi-viz stuff . On a day with low light and poor vis - i will,
But i'm sorry no matter how much hi-viz stuff one puts on yourself or horse IMO it doesn't make a dot to driver who drivers to fast or inconsiderably past horses You could be naked and they still think you have no rights to be there!!.

And i'm speaking from experience aswell......

The normal one you get shout at is we don't pay any tax. ARRRRRRRR, SORRY WE DO, as our the local council tax goes on most local and minor roads and nearly all us horse folks pay car taxes for major roads and motorways. But then we pay an extra for insurance, So we defo have right to be there!

Then you get shouted at for riding two by two, all way do that, as you can command your road position. You do have to be sensiable in twisty country lanes use common sense. But i have folk shout at me for that on, but at least they had to slow down wait and then past and SHOUT!!!

Next one is that folk assume that a horse and rider don't have same rules of highway code as car drivers, ie if travelling down road and park car on opposite side of road they assume WE have to give way to on coming traffic that they can just pull out and pass park vechiles on there side ER NO!!! but then i wonder as folks seem to think driving is a RIGHT not a PRIVILAGE (sp).....

just my view
 
I am sorry but all this talk of hi viz is the way to go is a load of cr@p. Yes it may help in some cases but I had hi-viz on when my horse was hit and killed, as so did somebody else i know when there horse was killed.

I think drivers should be made more aware of horses on the roads. The speed they go past me sometimes is unbelievable (and yes i still have my hi-viz on).

I am not saying hi-viz is a waste of time, but most of accidents are because of drivers with no respect for animals on the roads, driving like idiots.
 
Most insurance companies now insist, so when you get knocked down again and your insurance company asks why you didn't make yourselves visible am sure telling them that they don't work anyway will make them pay out regardless, after all we all know how insurance companies pay out when think don't have too....;)

I didn't say it will stop accidents, course it doesn't, but it helps - it's proven that it does make drivers react quicker to a horse with hiviz on than without, and as far as I can see not wearing it and making drivers skid when don't see us til the last second only enforces their belief that we're all stuck up rich g*ts who think we own the road....you can't blame them for thinking it. do people still really think horses don't blend into the scenery when it's bright sunshine, the weather is irrelevant - that's proven fact now, they did a test because so many said 'well it's sunny when I hack so I'm fine...'! :O

my horse was in sunshine when hit (extremely good visibility so the police report said - not that it mattered), BUT the fact she resembled a christmas tree saved me not only having the heartache of dealing with the aftermath, but paying a twonk driver who didn't think horses should be on the roads thousands in compensation, and yes solicitor said, if hadn't had it on....I'd have been paying, so for the sake of £50 worth of hiviz I saved about £5k...not bad eh! LOL *rollseyes*

drivers with no respect will never have any respect, no matter how many road safety vid's there is, do you see folks doing 30mph on the roads now since that awful broken boned and killed child one (the little girl) because I definately haven't seen a decrease in speading in built up area's since that was aired - in fact it's worse!!

It wasn't a little scrape my horse had, she ended up on the roof of the car, at the last minute she tried to jump the bonnet of the car taking the rider with her, they rolled up onto the roof, shattered the windscreen, took off the 'taxi' sign (yep...was a taxi - no comment), rolled back down onto bonnet, all this while car still moving....and then finally hit the road, still with rider, she waited til he got his feet out of the stirrups before getting up, she was lucky, and yep am very aware they both could've died in that accident - they were both being looked over that day, they had a special bond from that day, he said she saved his life - and you know what, testamont to his courage...he hacked her out again! can't even describe how felt driving to the accident with his wife in the car - and can't describe how much we were both shaking when he insisted they had to go for a hack to get over it....lol we both needed vodka while waiting!


So make hiviz legal, and those who prefer fashion to making themselves seen can stick to an arena - and yep I've heard that 'they don't do a colour that goes with my scheme' *sigh* :P
 
I'm sorry for you accident,

BUT I DON'T AGREED with your data on hi-viz jackets, and i just gone through my insurance and it doesn't say I HAVE to wear hi-viz on road.

IMO they need to toughen up on driver and make everyone re-test every 5 years and make us pay for test..... it will improve driving standards, reduced carbon footprint and Most of all reduce accidents, BUT they will not do cos it will effect to many of 'the voters'.
So make people wear a daft hi-viz jacket that someone may notice or not and BUT still drive at too fast for road conditions!!!

Thank god at mo we're not in NOT be a nanny state but WHERE WILL IT STOP!!! Children walking to school, older people in shopping in high street, next everyone walking on pavement ARRRRRRRRRRR no no ban people from walking, wrap cotton wool around them..................... ER going for wrong target in my eyes

So as drivers and wouldn't you be happy to have re-tested and training and have your driving skilled improved, i know i would???
 
I was riding my mare on a narrow road a few years ago and a car came up behind us, I asked her to stop, she ignored me and started to squeeze past us I stopped my mare and tried to push her into the hedge and the car clipped her and she ended up sitting in the door smashing the window. the driver stopped and clamied she didnt wait for me to get out of the way as there was plenty of room :O mare was shaken but fine, I was raging and the worst of it was i had 3 riders behind me and shed squeezed passed them to but without incident, and we all had our flurecents on
 
QR with regard to hi viz, my old boss was knocked off his push bike and very seriously injured, by a motorist who claimed he "did not see him" My boss was wearing a bright Fluoro vest and had all the correct reflectors etc on his bike even though this happened at 10 am on a sunny saturday morning in summer. Even though it isn't stated anywhere the courts had a much easier job of convicting the driver of driving without due care and attention because it was very evident that my boss had done all he could to make himself be seen.

Now I don't think Hi viz is the be all and end all but in a society where the nation seems to drive like a bunch of impatient idiots it surely has to help!

I think all drivers should do a preliminary test to gain a P plate and then they should keep that for a year before taking the full driving test to drive on all roads in all conditions. Tests should be retaken every 5 years up to the age of 65 and then every 2 years after that. Cars these days are built far too fast and powerful for the capacity in which they can be driven ie a gridlocked M25!!
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I also think the Riding and road safety test should be more readily available and should be compulsory (I think a cycling proficiency test should be compulsory too!!) Some riders need to learn some road manners as do the motorist, we all have to use the road and we should all be able to use the road safely and alongside each other!

We need more off road riding with a better network of bridlepaths and support of local councils!


Oooh sorry will step off the soap box now
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QRish to all the people saying that hi-viz doesn't make a difference.
It was proven in conclusive test that the human eye sees hi-viz or bright colours upto 3 seconds before they see other colours!

Of course if a driver is going to fast this is irrelevant but it is the reason that it is the law to have your headlights on 24/7 in some European countries.
 
And to answer the OP, I think road safety and the horse should be taught to people learning to drive, well to driving instructors first.

My first driving instructor asked me what the hell I was doing slowing down to pass a horse on the road!!
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Surely they should know these things.
 
Wearing hi-viz can never be the wrong thing to do. OK, in some circumstances - driver going much too fast, blind bend, etc - it might not make much difference, but in the vast majority of cases drivers see people wearing hi-viz clothing 2-3 seconds sooner than they would otherwise.

And it should be worn at all times on the roads, regardless of whether it's sunny or not. There's a good reason why police, council workers, road menders etc all wear hi-viz on the roads. It's not rocket science. We can't control how people drive, but we can do everything possible to protect ourselves.
 
"It's not rocket science. We can't control how people drive, but we can do everything possible to protect ourselves. "
well said,
i wonder how many people who don't wear hi-viz wear the latest standard hat? if you are willing to pay for the latest "fashion" in hats then why not for hi-viz there is no legal requirement to ride with the latest standard and i don't think my insurance company says i have to when hacking (prepared to be told different) oh and i do wear the latest kite mark hat and change it every 2 years and yes i have been in an accident, horse on bonnet, i landed other side of the car broke my wrist and friend was in intensive care with a fractured skull and now will always hack out with hi-vis so at least the car driver can't turn round and say i didn't see you.!!
 
I was involved in an accident very close to my yard which dented my confidence and the confidence of the horse I was riding.

I moved over to let a car pass and he accelerated which spooked the horse. she spun roun and as she did so her quarters hit the car taking off the wing mirror and smashing it across the road. I could not ride her back to the yard because she would not walk past another car without me being at her head. She was lucky in that she only suffered a scratch although it took a while to get her confidence back up.

The driver of the car apologised and admitted responsibilty and gave me all his details.
 
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