Help keep roads safe for horses riders and others

New Highway Code rules to protect those most at risk

Local residents have shared their concerns with the Parish Council about inconsiderate and dangerous driving near horses and riders. Not everyone may be aware, but a series of important changes were made to the Highway Code earlier this year, to help protect those road users most at risk in the event of a collision, which includes horse riders. We have published info on some of these key changes on a dedicated Highway Code Changes webpage. Importantly, the new rules do not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly.

To help improve driver behaviour, West Mercia Police are also making use of digital footage submitted by members of the public, under Operation Snap (or OpSnap). Find out more about OpSnap and/or submit footage.

View the OpSnap horse rider safety poster.

We understand that on average 5 incidents of unsafe driving are reported to both OpSnap and the British Horse Society every time local riders take their horses out. In addition to sharing information on Highways Code Changes and OpSnap, the Parish Council has made contact with the British Horse Society to discuss how else we can help make local roads safer for riders and other users. In the meantime, please make sure you're aware of the new Highway Code rules and follow the advice below:

Tips for sharing the road with horses:

• Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when approaching, overtaking, passing or moving away.
• Always pass wide and slowly. When you see a horse on a road, you should slow down to a maximum of 10 mph. Be patient, do not sound your horn or rev your engine. When safe to do so, pass wide and slow, allowing at least 2 metres of space.
• Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop.
• Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver