When will riders take responsibility...

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CBFan

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... for their own safety?

I was doing about 30mph down a country lane yesterday lunchtime, which, ok may have been a tiny bit fast but is a good 20-30mph slower than many drive on this national speed limit road, when I came upon a couple of riders... wearing dark green, and brown clothing. I stoped in PLENTY of time and as they passed I politely mentioned that they were completely invisible against the woodland backdrop and they might consider wearing some high vis so they could be seen earlier... One woman spat at me 'You were driving too fast!' I tried pointing out to her that i was a rider myself and that not every driver they met would be going as slow as I was but thats all she could say... no acceptance of the fact that she was invisible to drivers AT ALL...
 
CBFan said:
... for their own safety?

I was doing about 30mph down a country lane yesterday lunchtime, which, ok may have been a tiny bit fast but is a good 20-30mph slower than many drive on this national speed limit road, when I came upon a couple of riders... wearing dark green, and brown clothing. I stoped in PLENTY of time and as they passed I politely mentioned that they were completely invisible against the woodland backdrop and they might consider wearing some high vis so they could be seen earlier... One woman spat at me 'You were driving too fast!' I tried pointing out to her that i was a rider myself and that not every driver they met would be going as slow as I was but thats all she could say... no acceptance of the fact that she was invisible to drivers AT ALL...
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I have done exactly this too.

I was told 'well what do you know!!' I told them I knew I couldn't see them and that I thought it was dangerous THEN...one of the riders (4 in total) said her horse didn't like hi viz!!!!!!!
 
Unfortunately it happens all too often and you cant make people wear high vis clothing. I do wonder what it would take to make people a bit more aware, a nasty accident prehaps!! :(
 
What really pees me off with people like that is it is always the horse who gets hit first and takes the brunt of any accident. Selfish cow.
 
Well done for having the guts to tell them though. I must admit that when I come across invisable riders I do seeth to myself as it scares me that I could come close to hitting them even when driving safely, I just don't have the balls to mention it though I'm afraid. Some round here look like they are after the camo look - I don't think they could be more invisable if they tried!
 
kaylouise67 said:
I have done exactly this too.

I was told 'well what do you know!!' I told them I knew I couldn't see them and that I thought it was dangerous THEN...one of the riders (4 in total) said her horse didn't like hi viz!!!!!!!
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I used to hack out pointers for a guy who thought hi vis was "uncool" and naff and made you look like a numpty. when I insisted on wearing a tabard on a dull, rainy afternoon I went to get on one horse who was spinning round the mounting block. he had to hold him for me and when he did he said (in scathing tones) "well he's never seen high vis before" - yep, that was the reason he wouldn't stand at the mounting block. Not the fact that he was 4, had been broken for 1 week and it was the first time anyone had tried to get on him from a block!!!
 
I stopped once and handed a woman a hi-vis waistcoat (I'm a white van driver so have them for work). I didn't care that she was walking down a lane in dark clothes in dusk but I did care about the little pony she was leading and the 3 or 4 year old child who was riding that pony!! I couldn't believe someone would be so selfish as to risk their own child. :mad:
 
glosgirl said:
I'd rather be un-cool and alive though rather than cool and in a box!
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Me too! Even my vet who has always been very anti hi-viz (as not traditional! :eek:) has changed his tune after a very near miss with a couple of lorries very early one morning. He always seemed to think he was immune but that proved he wasn't and as the only time he can exercise is either early or late and doing roadwork only, he's bitten the bullet and horse is now done up like a Christmas tree while he has cycling lights on his boots. He says he feels a prat but he also feels safer which is the main thing. If he can change his habits I'm pretty sure most others could too.

It's about time it was made law that if you're using roads, hi-viz should be worn. Do any insurance companies insist on it yet, that might be the way to go?
 
I brought a Bright pink cycling jacket the other day, you really cant miss me and my horse has a neck band, and when cold a hiviz quarter sheet, this morning I rode out on the rd and most people were brilliant but one guy when past me at 60 on the other side of the rd, Im so lucky my horse is good. Just think if he hadnt of seen me!!!!
 
May also be worth mentioning that not taking every reasonable precaution to be seen may invalidate their insurance & personal liability cover so rendering them personally liable for any costs incurred if they are in an accident. If they wont do it to try & protect their horse, they may do it to protect their bank balance.

Was a girl at old livery yard refused to wear HV, she was the rudest, most arrogant bi*ch you could meet, ironically she worked for a very large wildlife charity earning pots of money (only bothered to go in a few days per week). They even gave her a subsidised car, now a top of the range Golf, slightly greener than the huge BMW they previously gave her, great for saving the planet!
 
I had a rant about this in assembly the other morning. When questioned about Hi-Viz about 120 first formers said they didn't wear it because it wasn't cool. (peer pressure may have caused some of this). I think we really need to educate our youngsters first but I do wish some of the more attractive hi-viz was cheaper. Would be a much easier sell then. I also think it should be compulsory not advisory. I hacked out in mine for the first time at weekend (don't hack on roads usually) and everyone slowed down in loads of time.
 
IT drives me nuts too seeing numpties from the local equestrian centre hacking out on their 'invisible horses' You can't see them at all!

My horse didn't like the hi viz at first - not to do with the bright colour but the crinkly noise so got a workmans BSE flourescent fleece jacket so no crinkly noise there and made him a fleece ride on exercise rug with reflective tape too and got the police reflective blue and white chequer as well! So he's got his police pony outfit!

And he spooked at a horse in the fog on the tracks that wasn't wearing hi viz!

We can be seen from all directions!
 
Still chuckling about the horse that didn't like hi-viz!!!!! :D I bet it didn't like being ridden at one time....bet it won't like being hit!!!!
 
Nowadays there isn't an excuse really in my book.

I HAVE to ride on the roads at night I don't have any other option and the roads I am riding on are unlit country roads - I go out lit up like a christmas tree, have done for years.
 
kaylouise67 said:
I have done exactly this too.

I was told 'well what do you know!!' I told them I knew I couldn't see them and that I thought it was dangerous THEN...one of the riders (4 in total) said her horse didn't like hi viz!!!!!!!
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FGS. So spend a very short amount of your life desensitising your horse to it, or else don't risk it and the rest of your ride's lives, you silly silly woman :mad:

(Obviously I mean this to the person mentioned, not kaylouise!)
 
Been there CB fan, when I lived in Scotland. Black is IT.

I never go out without hi-viz, even here where during a one hour ride yesterday we saw four cars.
 
kaylouise67 said:
I have done exactly this too.

I was told 'well what do you know!!' I told them I knew I couldn't see them and that I thought it was dangerous THEN...one of the riders (4 in total) said her horse didn't like hi viz!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

I did exactly the same the other day too! Seems like the country is full of stupid people!!!

The woman I spoke to was riding down a country lane with a young child next to her on a pony!! Neither had flourescent on. I passed with my horse and trailer at snails pace so I could speak to her, and wound down my window and politely explained that she was virtually invisible. She explained "Oh its allright we've had an incident and are late getting back to the yard". I felt like saying " you are about to have another incident if you don't hurry up" but kept my temper in check. :eek:

Maybe the incident she had just had was someone else giving her a hard time.:p

Stupid stupid people. Sighs.
 
I have to confess that until I was a driver I hated wearing Hi-Viz. My mum always made me though and it's stupid as people from school would take the mic. Being a school girl I poo-pooed my mother's advise - rather stupidly as I had a black pony - but now, having grown up and since passing my driving test 4 years ago the horses always wear hi-viz leg wraps, breastplate and noseband for the minimum (and I wear a yellow flashing tabbard) when it's cold the exercise sheet comes out too!

I think people forget sometimes that possibly the most dangerous time is when it's sunny - you think it's such a bright day so don't need to wear anything - but as soon as you go in to the shadows you can see absolutely nothing and as far as the driver is concerned there is nothing there!!

They'll only learn once A, they pass their driving test; or B, have an accident - unfortunately for the poor horse!! :(
 
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I'd have just said, you'll remember my words one day when something hits you and injures your horse. Then it will be too late...

Ps We have a field 200yds down a lane, and when we lead the horses up it in the dark we wear a flashing tabbard each. We can't catch the horses if we're flashing! We have to switch is on later!
 
Starbucks said:
Don't know why people can't mind their own business really.
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Because when they get hit by a car it wont just be their business - it'll be the horse rider, the horse, the driver, the car passangers, the people who were driving on the other side of the road.......wont it?
 
There's been quite a few very serious accidents in our village over the last 5 years. Several have been fatal (for the horse). Our village is used as a rat run by drivers to get to the M25, and the lanes are quite narrow and twisty in places. After the most recent, horrendous accident which has shocked everyone, there's not really anyone who rides out around here without being fully clad in flourescent yellow anymore.

I think those who don't ride in high viz, are probably living in ignorant bliss, and are lucky enough to so far, not been involved in, or known anyone who has been involved in an accident.
 
Starbucks said:
Don't know why people can't mind their own business really.
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It is their business. If someone rides in a public area in a manner that may endanger others also using that public area - then it is everyones business.
If I am driving carefully, but because someone else has made a poor decision not to wear high viz, then it is my business because that someone and their horse may well wind up on my bonnet, fecking up my car and possibly killing or injuring me as the driver.
That is my bloody business.
 
Sometimes even a tabard isn't enough. I had a driver point out that she couldn't see me because the sun was so bright and I was riding a chestnut horse against a backdrop of coppery autumn beech leaves so she blended right in. So I bought a violent pink hat band to become even more visible, lol.

Also high viz doesn't show up in the dark. You need reflectives or those things that light up and blink. Not that I would personally risk riding in the dark.
 
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