Check-Out: At the end of the article, you can find photos of some horse & rider accidents due to the carelessness of drivers.
Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Mounted has gathered her forces with The British Horse Society (BHS) to create the Safer Pass Initiative. BHS is the largest equestrian organization founded on November 5, 1947, which currently has more than 92,000 members registered. Their mission is to provide a strong voice for both horses and people through world-class classifications, welfare services for horses and riders and different campaigns and initiatives. This project is a great initiative to reduce the number of accidents involving horses, riders and drivers of automobiles.
British Horse Society has published a very important report where it is said that from 2009 until now there have been more than 2900 road incidents involving horses in which 290 horses have tragically died. The Safer Pass initiative was designed to highlight the safe distance and speed that all the cars are required to use when passing a horse on the road. Roads, where incidents have happened and are more likely to occur again, were marked as Hotspot areas by GMP. They have planned to use plain-clothed mounted officers to spot irresponsible drivers who drive too close and too quickly by the horses.
On November 14th, GMP’s mounted unit in partnership with BHS stopped 40 cars in just an hour for driving too fast and too close by the horses. It was a very successful and productive day for them and they are hoping that this project will help lower the number of incidents by informing and educating all the drivers that the damages that their actions can cause, would be fatal not only for the horses and their riders but even for them.
The initiative took place for the first time in Slag Lane, Leig because in September an awful incident happened there where a young girl was injured after being knocked off her horse by a car who was passing by at a high speed.
The BHS has formulated pieces of advice and is asking drivers and riders to use the following information to make sure that they pass the road safely. Below we are posting this information by hoping we will raise awareness for all the drivers, riders and other road users, not only in the United Kingdom but in every state where drivers and riders share the same roads.
Instructions that a driver should follow when they see a horse passing by:
- Maximum speed should be 25 kilometers per hour
- Horn cannot be used and always remember that you can’t rev the engine. Drivers should remain patient through the whole process
- For everyone’s security drivers should pass the horse wide and slow, at least a car’s width if it is possible.
- Drive slowly away from the horses and their riders
And of course, instructions that a rider should follow when they are walking down the road with their horses:
- They have to be sure that they are following the Highway Code and the shared responsibility they have by walking on the road
- Both rider and the horse must wear High Vision clothing during day and night
- Must be thankful and kind to all the drivers and other road users for passing the road safely and respecting them.
- A rider should not ride in failing light or absolute darkness unless it is absolutely necessary
This is not the first time that the British Horse Society and GMP have worked together. After the successful launch of The British Horse Society’s (BHS) Dead or Dead Slow campaign, which shed light and informed all the people about the dangers that riders have to face every day on Britain’s roads, they decided it was time to collaborate with Greater Manchester Police’s Mounted Unit by hoping that they would have a greater impact on people. In response to the alarming number of incidents involving horses on the roads, they launched Ride Safe Award as a very useful guide that all the horse riders have to take before they go out in the road.
Alan Hiscox, the director of safety in BHS said: “We want to not only educate drivers on how to safely pass horses on the road, but we also want riders to have the skills and knowledge to protect themselves. We’re thrilled that GMP Mounted Police are the first force to take our Ride Safe Award, and hope that through the award and our Dead Slow campaign, we can save horses and riders lives”. This initiative is a perfect example and should be used by all the countries in the world, in order to protect horses and all road users.
Here is the outcome if drivers don’t take care of horses!
