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Horse-related Road Accidents
20 Nov 2020
Sadly, horse-related road traffic accidents are only growing in frequency. In 2019, one person died and 135 people were injured in horse-related road traffic accidents. There are certain precautions that drivers can take in order to decrease the likelihood of a horse-related accident occurring. To find out how to keep safe when you encounter a horse rider on the roads, read our safety tips.
To assess your claim, contact us on 0800 808 9740 or online.
How To Stay Safe
If you are driving in a car or on a motorbike, there are certain steps that you should take when you approach a horse on the road. The Dead Slow campaign, launched by the British Horse Society, highlights the specific steps that you should take when driving near to a horse. You should:
- Slow down to a maximum speed of fifteen mph.
- You should not sound the horn or rev the engine.
- Should pass the horse at a wide distance, of at least a car’s width if possible, and slowly.
- You should drive away from the horse at a slow speed.
If you are a horse rider, you should wear hi-visibility clothing when you are riding your horse outside of your stables. This helps to ensure the safety of you and your horse, as well as the safety of other road users.
If you follow the steps outlined above, as a motor vehicle user or as a horse rider, you will be helping to decrease the likelihood of a horse-related road traffic accident occurring. This ensures that less people and less animals are injured on our roads.
If you are a horse rider there are other precautions that you should take into consideration to increase your safety and the safety of your animal:
- You should ensure that you have had proper horse rider training/that your horse is properly trained to go on the roads without being spooked before you embark on your journey.
- You should have a good understanding of your horse’s behaviour – if you do not, you may miss the behavioural cues that indicate that your horse is spooked or uncomfortable.
- You should have all the proper and necessary safety equipment for you and your horse, such as stirrups and a helmet.
- A lack of preparation or consideration for what to do if you are in trouble/encounter an unusual situation where your horse is spooked.
If you take these factors into consideration and try to prepare for them prior to going on your horse ride, you should be able to keep safe. The most important factor to having a safe horse ride on a road is preparation. Therefore, you should also plan your route carefully, ensuring that you do not choose roads where the cars are likely to be going too fast or where there is not a safe exit point for you and your horse if they are growing agitated.
Making Personal Injury Claims
If you have suffered a personal injury, you may be entitled to receive compensation. First Personal Injury solicitors are available to assist you and ensure that you win the compensation that you deserve.
First Personal Injury work with both families and individuals across England and Wales, leading them on their legal journey and helping them claim compensation after an accident or injury. Contact our specialist team to begin the process, either by phone on 0800 808 9740 or through our online form.