Police stop 40 drivers in an hour as part of horse safety scheme

In just over an hour on Slag Lane, the scheme, which is in partnership with The British Horse Society (BHS). saw 40 cars stopped for passing a horse too closely and too quickly.

The BHS is asking drivers to use the following information to ensure a safe pass:

Motorist have been advised to:

• Slow down to a maximum of 15mph

• Be patient; don’t sound the horn or rev the engine

• Pass the horse wide and slow, (if safe to do so) at least a car’s width if possible

• Drive slowly away

Riders have also been advised to:

• Ensure they comply with the Highway Code and the shared responsibility of the road

• Wear conspicuous clothing (Hi-vis) on both the rider and the horse

• Thank drivers and other road users for passing safely

• Do not ride in failing light or darkness unless absolutely necessary

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PC Matthew Hill said: “The location of the initiative was chosen due to an incident where a young girl was injured after being knocked off her horse in September.

"We were disappointed to see so many cars pass us closely and at speed in such a short amount of time, but it was a great opportunity to speak to the drivers and educate them on the dangers of their actions.

“The damage speeding cars can cause not only to themselves, but to both the horse and rider, can be fatal and we want to reduce these incidents.

"Further operations are planned in a bid to make the roads a safer place to be for horse and riders.”

Director of safety at BHS, Alan Hiscox, said: “We were contacted by the riders involved in this incident and we’re really grateful that we have been able to work with GMP’s Mounted Unit to put together a Safe Pass Initiative in the area to raise awareness amongst drivers on how to safely pass horses on the road.

"We would encourage any riders to report any incident to the BHS horse accidents website, as we can use this information to implement initiatives like this.”