To think this rider was partly at fault?

[meandmyself]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ho...aves-rider-struck-overtaking-lorry-703410/amp

No high viz, rider against the sun/hedges...

I'm not convinced the van driver was totally to blame.

Glad no one was hurt though

 

[milliepops]

Have to say it was on my mind when watching the clip but the van driver was definitely not paying enough attention.

Tbf against very low sun hi viz doesn't help tremendously but it's always better to have some on imo.
Glad she was ok.

 

[ycbm]

She's wearing high vis in either pink or orange, far the safest in the sun. Flatbed driver was bang out of order, I don't think the rider was in any way to blame.


.

 

[milliepops]

Looked like a normal red jacket to me but either way she wasnt visible enough, not her fault as you can't change the angle of the sun or force people to look at you but a valuable warning to us all ?

 

[Nicnac]

The flatbed truck was completely at fault. The other lorry was moving, albeit slowly, didn't have hazards or indicators on so flatbed should have slowed right down and looked. Quite disappointed that a fellow rider doesn't have more compassion for another rider when we all know how horrible it can be riding on the roads.

 

[ester]

I thought it was pink hi vis too, it's certainly noticeable/not black etc. Other driver certainly spotted her fine. They are so lucky that verge was there and not a ditch, or a bloody great hedge.

 

[HashRouge]

I can only assume the visibility was very poor and the driver didn't see the horse and rider, or his actions don't make sense at all. Either way, he was overtaking far, far too quickly (especially if the visibility was poor). She's lucky the horse spooked when it did!

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Van driver definitely not paying attention..!!!!
As for hi viz, it did look like a pink jacket to me BUT I have hi viz all over the horse too....leg wraps, tail and chest strap. Esp important on a dark horse.

 

[teddypops]

She's wearing high vis in either pink or orange, far the safest in the sun. Flatbed driver was bang out of order, I don't think the rider was in any way to blame.


.

It’s just a red jacket. Rider stated this on Facebook post.

 

[Bellaboo18]

The van driver was definitely at fault in my eyes. I hate seeing these clips, it's terrifying. So glad no one was hurt.

 

[ycbm]

It’s just a red jacket. Rider stated this on Facebook post.

OK its red. Bright red.

The flatbed driver was, imo, wholly to blame.

 

[ycbm]

Riding on roads is just dangerous these days. Bit of this going on, I think?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/27/victim-blaming-science-behind-psychology-research

.

 

[tallyho!]

What if it was a cyclist or a pedestrian or a grandad in a scooter?

 

[teddypops]

OK its red. Bright red.

The flatbed driver was, imo, wholly to blame.

He is to blame, but it looks like for some reason he didn’t see her. Only he will know why that was.

 

[Myloubylou]

Thank god for the horses self preservation!

 

[Hack4fun]

Can we avoid getting into casting blame onto riders and all of that please?

 

[Lois Lame]

Thankyou, Hack4fun.

Why do some people want to apportion blame? Well, I do no doubt, sometimes, and I think we like to think that if X is at fault, then it won't happen to us because we aren't like X.

I think it's one of those rotton things, that near-miss. The lighting was awful for the truck driver who came along and the last thing he would expect to see is a horse on the road. Said horse and rider did very well though.

Let's just be glad that all parties learned a little from it and no one was hurt.

 

[ycbm]

Thankyou, Hack4fun.

Why do some people want to apportion blame? Well, I do no doubt, sometimes, and I think we like to think that if X is at fault, then it won't happen to us because we aren't like X.

I think it's one of those rotton things, that near-miss. The lighting was awful for the truck driver who came along and the last thing he would expect to see is a horse on the road. Said horse and rider did very well though.

Let's just be glad that all parties learned a little from it and no one was hurt.

The lighting was exactly the same as it was for the driver of the refuse lorry which had already slowed right down.

.

 

[SOS]

The jacket is bright even if not hi vis and the bin lorry clearly saw them as they were aware and driving slowly. Whilst wearing hi vis aids visibility, the lack of it, as others have said, does not excuse a driver from not seeing horses, riders, cyclists, pedestrians, children, motorcyclists etc.

Your OP saying the rider was against the sun/hedges is no excuse. This time of year is difficult to drive in so all drivers should be aware of this and drive to suit the conditions.

I think from the speed of the flatbed they were either being careless, over taking the bin lorry without thought or were distracted and were late to realise the bin lorry had slowed down and therefore overtook. Either is completely human but also inexcusable whilst driving a vehicle.

 

[criso]

I could be wrong but it looked to me from the shadows that the sun was coming from the side (shadow to the left of the vehicle so sun from the driver's right) so not directly into the drivers eyes.

However what annoys me as I see it happening so much as a rider or a pedestrian is someone slows or stops, for a pedestrian crossing or a horse or other hazard and the driver behind instead of thinking, maybe they have slowed down for a reason, decides whatever the hold up is does not apply to them and sails past happily. It happens most often when I am travelling in the same direction so protected by the sensible driver but seen many near misses as the overtaker meets a car coming the other way.

 

[tallyho!]

He overtook the van waiting for her though... too much in a rush!
Someone did that to me once as I waited for a rider... impatience!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Have to say it was on my mind when watching the clip but the van driver was definitely not paying enough attention.

Tbf against very low sun hi viz doesn't help tremendously but it's always better to have some on imo.
Glad she was ok.

Iam with you, blue truck completely to blame, driving way to fast, never slowed down. Glad truck caught on camera, valuable lesson, look before you overtake. Glad horse and rider ok, and thank god company got reported. I have had similar happen to me with cars etc car slows down, follower in own world sees car stop and just goes to overtake without thinking why car stopping.

 

[SEL]

I once slowed down - with left indicator on - because I could see and hear an ambulance on blue lights coming up behind.

The car driver just behind me must have had music on loud or just on a different planet. Pulled his car out to overtake and right into the path of the ambulance. Luckily ambulance drivers are very alert and can brake fast! I think some drivers just lack awareness of what is going on around them and dont ask WHY another driver is slowing down

 

[Gloi]

I was once riding and a car slowed down and went right over to the right hand side of the road while passing me. The car behind him shot past that car on the lhs squeezing between it and my pony

 

[Gloi]

I was once riding and a car slowed down and went right over to the right hand side of the road while passing me. The car behind him shot past that car on the lhs squeezing between it and my pony . Some folk just don't care, that truck driver maybe did see her, he just went through anyway.

 

[milliepops]

I was once riding and a car slowed down and went right over to the right hand side of the road while passing me. The car behind him shot past that car on the lhs squeezing between it and my pony

that must have been scary. some people are nutjobs. I've been overtaken on the central reservation while driving the horsebox before

 

[Maryann]

'Some folk just don't care, that truck driver maybe did see her, he just went through anyway'
that is what it looks like to me

 

[Hanno Verian]

I completely agree if you look on the road you can see the shadow that indicates the sun was to the side not behind the rider. As someone else pointed out the first lorry driver could see her and behaved correctly, the second didn't - clearly driving without due care and attention.
Yes the rider could have made herself more visible, but she was clearly plainly visible as indicated by the first drivers actions and the evidence of the video. I would like to see it being compulsory for hi-viz on both riders and horses, but i guess that's some way away.
I somehow doubt that even if the rider had been lit up like a Christmas tree that it would have made any difference to the drivers behaviour.
All we can do is ensure that when we hack out we are the safest we can be and that we report all incidents to the police (& BHS) if that backed up with video evidence then so much the better.
Hope the rider and horse are ok and that they learn from it

 

[Five&Two]

Attributing blame of any kind on the rider is bang out of order, The driver of the blue truck is at fault 100%. He was driving dangerously from the outset. Had he hit them you would be singing a different tune. It could have easily been a person, car or cyclist in the spot the rider was in, would you want to blame them to?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Always best, imo to avoid riding into/out of low sun, which is very difficult here in winter as the only road out of/to the yard runs east/west.

I am so glad that the driver was reported, both to his employer and to the police. Fingers crossed something happens as a result and the driver learns a valuable lesson.
Thank goodness all came out of the incident safe and sound.