July 14, 2018 - 1332 views
North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit working in partnership with the British Horse Society, were out on patrol yesterday on local roads with a view to educate all road users about how to pass horses and their riders safely.
RPU officers accompanied students, Cath and Natasha and their horses Henry and Ted, from the Coleg Cambria Equine Department to stop drivers and raise awareness of how to pass horses safely.
Many drivers were provided with information and advice on the potential consequences of driving without caution when passing horses on the road, with 15 drivers being stopped for careless driving around the horses. They had either driven too closely, too fast or had overtaken when not appropriate.
Sergeant Anja Macleod, who ran the operation, has her own horses and has had personal experiences of poor driving when out on the road with her horses.
For drivers who are not sure what to do when passing horses, the British Horse Society advises:
- Slow down to 15mph
- Be patient, don’t sound your horn or rev your engine
- Pass the horse wide (at least a car’s width)
- Drive slowly away
Sergeant Macleod said: “North Wales is a popular holiday destination for many, and there is a high likelihood of encountering motorists and holidaymakers with little or no experience of horses. I believe that this is an excellent opportunity to educate drivers before the need to enforce or before incidents occur.
“We will also take this opportunity to promote #OpSnap and to encourage horse riders to report any experiences of dangerous driving they may have encountered directly to North Wales Police or via the British Horse Society website.”
