Welsh Govenment’s Draft Road Safety Plan

It was disappointing to note that the Welsh Government’s draft Road Safety Delivery Plan made no reference to horse and rider or carriage drivers when defining the vulnerable road user.

Mark Weston, Director of Access, Safety and Welfare at the British Horse Society said “It is incredible that equestrians have not been classed as a vulnerable group. This is especially so when NHS hospital episode statistics for 2010/11 show that there were nearly 4,000 episodes arising from equestrians being injured and needing hospital treatment as a result of an accident on the road with a vehicle”.

All equestrians are being urged to respond to the consultation ahead of the closing date of 13 December 2012 as it sets out the Government’s approach to Road Safety until 2020.