Horse signs placed at 10 hotspots
NEW signs to educate drivers on how to pass horses safely on the road have been installed at 10 hotspot locations across Carmarthenshire.
Carmarthenshire Council’s road safety team has joined forces with the British Horse Society (BHS) to launch the ‘pass wide and slow’ campaign.
Horses and their riders can be vulnerable on the road; and a collision involving a horse and a vehicle can have life threatening consequences for the horse, the rider as well as the occupants of the vehicle.
It is understood Carmarthenshire is the first local authority in Wales to install the signs on its roads, and it is hoped other councils will follow suit.
Drivers approaching a horse and rider should firstly reduce their speed and be prepared to stop, ensuring they keep well back and avoid revving the engine or sounding the horn.
Drivers are reminded to be patient and give the rider time to find a gateway or another place at the side of the road where there should be enough space between the horse and the vehicle to allow passing safely.
It is essential all road users pass slow and wide, leaving a 2m gap and at no more than 15mph – whether driving a car, heavy goods vehicle, motorbike or a bicycle.
Carmarthenshire Council executive board member for the environment, Cllr Hazel Evans, said: “I am delighted we are working with the BHS on this initiative. As a rural county, it is important drivers are aware that there are likely to be horses on the road and that they treat them with respect by not driving too fast and giving them plenty of space.”
The ‘Horse i’ app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play and incidents can also be reported via the BHS website: https://www.bhs.org.uk/
■ Politically Correct – Help us shape county horse rider strategy
WE have just launched our online engagement programme on equestrian access in Carmarthenshire.
As part of developing an Equestrian Strategy for the county we want to hear people’s views to help us inform and shape the strategy.
This engagement programme will help us identify whether existing resources are adequate to serve the needs of our horse riders or where opportunities may exist to build on.
It runs for another three weeks and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part by visiting our website.
Last week also saw the installation of new signs to educate drivers on how to pass horses safely on the road have been installed at 10 ‘hotspot’ locations across Carmarthenshire.
We have teamed up with the British Horse Society to launch the ‘pass wide and slow’ campaign.
According to the BHS, around 80% of incidents occur because a vehicle has passed too closely to the horse – which is unacceptable and can easily be avoided.
Horses and their riders can be vulnerable on the road; and a collision involving a horse and a vehicle can have life threatening consequences for the horse, the rider as well as the occupants of the vehicle.
So please pass wide and slow.