Scary moment driving today!

[Kokopelli]

I am a learner driver and have been driving since April with an instructor on duel control and in the last couple of months I've been allowed to drive my car with my dad.

I was going along a road today speed limit is 40 I was going about 30 as I knew horses go along this road and it was quite bendy.

All was going well today and then I almost hit a horse, he was bay and she had no refelctives on walking in the middle of the road as her horse was shying at something. I really wish people wore reflectives as I found it hard to see her and as an in experienced driver it could have been a disaster!

It has really frightened me and I'm a bit worried about driving next time I just am pleading people to wear refelctive at the very least bright clothes!

Sorry for the rant just had to get this off my chest!

 

[cindydog]

Its just getting into the habit everytime you want to ride out..hi viz on horse and hi viz on you and not forgetting hard hat, be bright, be seen even if sunny out as weather changes so quickly and away and enjoy your day.

 

[NeilM]

I am a habitual hi-viz wearer, which comes from many years of motorcycle riding. Earlier this year I discovered an item of hi-viz equipment which almost guarantees that people will see you, at least from the front; it is an ear / forehead cover, just like those used by many show jumpers, but in hi-viz.

People actually make comments, " I like his hat" being the most common. We have certainly had a lot less near misses since we started using it.

This is the sort of thing: http://www.v-bandz.co.uk/EQUESTRIAN-HI-VIZ-SAFETY/HORSE-HI-VIZ-SAFETY/Fly-Mask-Horse-Safety.aspx

 

[dornrose]

I bet you found that very scary, as a driving instructor I can sympathise with how you felt, I expect even if you had more driving experience you couldnt have dealt with the situation any better than you did yesterday.

I do remember driving along once, on a 60mph road (I wasnt doing 60) and suddenly seeing 2 riders coming in the opposite direction, like yours very hard to see as no florescent gear on a dark bay kind of in the bushes by the side of the road. I did slow down not apparently as much as the rider wanted as she hurled abuse at me. As a very experienced driver and a horse rider I know I posed them no danger, but by shouting in that aggressive manner at me she actually opened herself up to abuse from drivers, apart from anything else she was virtually invisible, if they'd been further into the road I would have been able to see them earlier. So it's not always just what they're not wearing but positioning can also be important. No i'm not suggesting riders go along the centre line but dont hide in the bushes wearing dark clothes on a dark horse with no florescent gear.

Maybe have a chat with your driving instructor in your next lesson and maybe go along that road in the lesson to see if there was anything else you could have done.

 

[mainpower]

NeilM, I have been using a hoz hat for a few months now, neon pink (suits my butch cob to a t), I get lots of comments about how visible it is, but I was a bit stunned by someone who stopped me to say it wasn't very dignified for my horse! To which I replied "A bit more dignified than scraping him off the road with a shovel if he gets hit by a car"!

 

[fatponee]

I use a hoz hat on my horse too. Yes it does look 'interesting' but we've also had a lot of comments about how visible it is...oh and a few chuckles at it as well!

 

[CBFan]

I agree! I just can't understand people who take their precious pones out on the road with not even a high vis vest on - how long does one take to put on???!!!

The number of times I have found myself almost upon a horse out of the blue - all it takes is the sun to be at an awkward angle / the trees / hedges to be a certain colour etc and a horse disapears!

Worth taking a look at tesco's cycle range - they have reflective armbands with flashing LED lights on etc which could easily be addapted for various positions on a horse!