‘Be nice and say hi’ campaign launch

A NEW campaign has been launched in the Staffordshire Moorlands to improve safety between horse riders and cyclists.

It comes after several near misses involving speeding cyclists coming up behind horses with no warning. As the cycles are silent, the horses or riders don’t hear them.

Now Cycling UK and The British Horse Society (BHS) have joined forces to launch a consideration and courtesy awareness message of ‘Be Nice, Say Hi’ to help cyclists and horse riders to pass safely.

A spokeswoman for the new Moorlands campaign said: “Some cyclists have passed far too fast and much too close and startled even ‘bombproof ’ horses.

“The worst area this year has been Morridge, Thorncliffe and Onecote areas. It can be even worse on bridleways.

“The Moorlands is the worst area in the country for off-road routes for horses with only four per cent of public paths designated as bridleways, having lost a vast number of routes in the 1970s when Staffordshire County Council downgraded all the former Roads Used as a Public Path (RUPPS) to footpaths.

“The rest of the country downgraded to bridleway on the instructions of the Government”.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’S head of campaigns said: “Every time a cyclist encounters a horse, there are three brains involved: the cyclist’s, the rider’s and the horse’s.

“Many people aren’t familiar with horses, and there can be confusion on what they should do when overtaking on a bike.

“Cyclists may already know to pass wide and slow when it’s safe to do so – but they could still startle the horse unless the horse and rider are made aware of your presence.

“Generally, if a cyclist startles a horse, it is due to a simple lack of awareness that a horse needs more time to react, which is why Cycling UK is pleased to be helping the BHS promote the consideration and courtesy message of ‘Be Nice, say Hi.’”

Director of Safety for the BHS, Alan Hiscox said: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Cycling UK as both groups are vulnerable road users and will benefit from working together to share the roads. We are encouraging riders to respond positively to cyclists who pass with consideration and reciprocate their courtesy.

“Horses are flight animals and may react to anything they are unsure of. By promoting the ‘Be Nice, say Hi’ message, we hope more cyclists will appreciate the potential risk they pose. If all road users are considerate and mindful of one another we can reduce the number of incidents between horses, cyclists and vehicles.”