Drivers’ behaviour still needs to change for horses to be safer on the roads

The past 10 years have been about raising awareness – the next 10 must be about changing behaviour.

An event held to mark a decade of the British Horse Society’s (BHS) Dead Slow equestrian road safety campaign on 20 April considered the vast progress it has made, and what will happen next.

“It’s been a decade of change,” said BHS director of safety Alan Hiscox. “Maybe, just maybe, our messages are landing, 10 years later.”

The incident that sparked the campaign was the death of a horse in a funeral cortège in Wales.

“I said then, ‘We’ve got to do something. We’ve got to start a campaign,’” Mr Hiscox said. “‘We’ve got to give drivers absolute, specific guidance as to what to do if they see a horse on the road.’

“That was the start of the Dead Slow campaign, and we wanted it with three components: safer riders, safer drivers and safer horses, because they are all interlinked, and we wanted to make sure everybody involved on the roads with horses was included.”

Mr Hiscox covered the highlights, including the Highway Code changes, Parliament debates, multiple awards and ongoing work with councils, police, trainers, road safety partnerships and the public. He then handed the floor to other experts in the field.

Influencing driver behaviour

Elizabeth Box of ECM Research Solutions spoke about influencing drivers’ decisions on how to pass horses. Dr Fox works with national organisations to use behavioural science in strategies to reduce road risk, focusing on rider and driver safety.

“It’s that moment when the driver intends to pass the horse rider that really matters,” she said. “We know, in that moment, the driver is not thinking about the Highway Code, or something they saw on social media. They are immediately in that environment. So how can we change that for the better, so horse riders can be safer?”

Dr Fox said many drivers may be aware of what to do, much owing to the BHS campaign, but that “behaviour hasn’t quite caught up”. She explained that most drivers rely on habit. If this is not a safe one, or they rely on instinct, this can be an issue. And if someone is in a hurry, they may see the horse as something to pass quickly rather than two sentient beings.

“Perceptions drivers have really influence their behaviour,” she added. “When they understand horse riders better, they understand what the circumstances are like for them, whether that’s what it’s like to be on a horse and have a close pass, or just understanding them as a person and a horse, not just something you need to get round. Empathy is really important for changing outcomes.”

Dr Fox said her team’s research has found people need clear information on what to do and the right opportunity to do it. This led to a campaign to help drivers understand the Highway Code changes.

“It’s really important we see what good looks like, and we really want to focus on that,” she said. “Then there’s trying to create a social norm. This happens over time, not within months, it’s many years. But if we can design more campaigns that can help shift that social norm, the better [it will be].”

She said her team’s campaigns had had effects on driver behaviour, but that the effects of any campaign diminish over time.

Promoting the message

“We need to keep on going with the same message, maybe in slightly different ways, to keep promoting it,” she said. “Research tells us empathy needs to be at the core of what we do when people see other people in the road network as other people, not just things they need to get round. That is really important.

“We need to make behaviour we want visible; we can’t just talk about it, we need to show what that looks like, because that’s much easier for people to comprehend, and we need to reinforce those messages.

“We know there are certain moments people are more likely to come across equestrians on the network; how can we help design campaigns specifically for the issues they’re likely to face? I think the last 10 years have been about raising awareness and it’s been incredible the work the BHS has done on that.

“I think the next 10 years must be about converting that awareness into behaviour. We’ve got the right building blocks, because the safest drivers aren’t the drivers who just know the rules, they’re the ones who actually put them into practice.”

The next push

Mr Hiscox added that his next focus is on the human and horse both being classed as vulnerable road users, not just the person.

“We are a partnership,” he said. “I am trying to push to get lines in the Highway Code to talk about that; my next push is to recognise that partnership. But we need your help, everybody in this room.

“To support improved national promotion of the Highway Code, endorse a clarification within it recognising the horse and rider partnership. Encourage consistent inclusion of equestrian risk in DVSA testing and training materials, support local authorities in considering equestrian safety within rural speed management and signage, and ensure equestrians are recognised within active travel and rural infrastructure programs.

“Thank you very much for being a part of Dead Slow.”

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