07/06/2024
– Officers are urging motorists to remain careful and considerate when driving past horses on Dorset roads during the busy summer months.
Motorists are reminded that they should drive ‘dead slow’ when overtaking riders on horseback, maintaining a two-metre distance and not exceeding 10mph.
At around 4pm on Sunday 10 March 20244, Dorset Police received a report of careless driving near the junction of the A350 Blandford Road and Newton Road in Sturminster Marshall in which a motorist overtook two horses, unintentionally splashing them with surface water. This caused the horses to react dramatically and one of the riders – an 11-year-old girl – was nearly thrown from her horse.
Following enquiries by officers, a 61-year-old man from Poole was identified as the driver and will attend a driver awareness course in the near future.
Police Constable Kate Schofield, of the Dorset Rural Crime Team, said: “Horse riders are a common sight on Dorset’s roads, and the equestrian community plays a really important role in rural life across our county.
“Anyone who knows about horses will realise they can be easily spooked when a car passes too close, so we would advise motorists to show respect for all road users and we would like to advise them about the importance of leaving the right amount of space when passing a horse rider – just as they should do when they pass other vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, moped riders and those on mobility scooters.
Further information can be found at https://dorsetroadsafe.org.uk/education-courses-training-advice/horse-safe/
