At The British Horse Society, we're committed to improving equine road safety across the UK, an effort driven by the annual collection of incident statistics. These statistics, gathered through our Horse i app, are essential to understanding and addressing the rate of incidents involving horses on UK roads which, in turn, strengthens our Dead Slow campaign.
Last year alone, 66 horses and three riders tragically lost their lives on UK roads, with a total of 3,383 incidents reported through the app. This data forms a crucial foundation for the BHS, allowing us to identify incident hotspots and advocate for safety improvements with local authorities, stakeholders and MPs.
To support these efforts, our safety team actively visits the identified hotspots, collaborating with local councils to put up information posters reminding drivers of the Highway Code guidelines for safely passing equestrians. Last year, we visited 11 such hotspots, reinforcing the importance of safe driving around horses.
Local awareness events form a core part of our community engagement strategy, with the safety team conducting events nationwide. These events offer an opportunity for us to connect with the public and local equestrians, fostering an understanding of road safety concerns.
We also work closely with mounted police units through our Close Pass initiatives, where officers interact with drivers in high-incident areas. These initiatives, reaching over 50 drivers each, educate drivers on how to pass horses safely and emphasise the risks associated with passing too quickly or too closely.
Looking to the future, we are planning even more events to raise awareness around equine road safety, with incident data playing a vital role in these initiatives. This information not only supports strategic planning but also resonates with the public, underscoring the serious impact of unsafe driving around horses.
We want to thank all of you who've downloaded the Horse i app and continue to record the incidents you're involved in. These statistics are playing a key role in helping us to make great strides in making roads safer for all equestrians.