JUNE IS THE DEADLIEST MONTH

Waking up to the dawn chorus of birds singing outside is a wonderful reminder that summer is on its way. The great outdoors is calling.

If we’re lucky and the weather is good, the sunshine attracts drivers, cyclists, walkers and horse riders out to enjoy the beauty of our stunning countryside.

But statistics show that in June more horses and riders get killed, or are involved in serious road traffic accidents, than at any other time of the year. And that 90 per cent of the human casualties are women.

The British Horse Society, the UK’s biggest equine charity, has collected this alarming data over the past five years.

Over 2,000 road incidents have been reported to the society including 36 rider deaths and 181 deaths of horses.

More Information

To help drivers who aren’t familiar or sure how to drive pass horses, the ‘Dead Slow’ campaign and video has been created with the specific aim to reduce deaths on the UKs road.

By slowing down to a maximum of 15mph and passing a horse with at least a car’s width, drivers can protect their cars, themselves and horses. This helps to make Britain’s roads a safer place to be, especially in the summer months.

But horse riders have a role to play too. The charity wants riders to wear ‘hi-vis’ clothing, whatever the weather, and for the riders to nod to say ‘thank you’ when drivers pass them wide and slow.

Happily most drivers are kind and considerate towards horses. The charity is also working hard to discover and keep open bridleways across the countryside so riders have safe places to ride their horses.

To find out more about the campaign, view our video or to download a poster visit: www.bhs.org.uk/deadslow