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Help me make our roads safer for horses, riders and carriage drivers
For more than a year, I have been working with riders, carriage drivers, horse owners, charities, and campaigners to put equestrian road safety firmly on the national agenda.
It started with the stories people shared with me. Dangerous overtakes. Vehicles passing far too quickly or closely. Near misses. Injuries. And the anxiety many riders feel simply trying to use our roads.
I’ve launched the next stage of that campaign, and I need your help.
From our roads to Parliament
Last September, I introduced my Road Traffic (Horse and Rider Safety) Bill, calling for stronger protections, better driver education, and greater awareness of how to pass horses safely. Earlier this year, I secured a dedicated Westminster Hall debate on horse and rider road safety, where MPs from across the country were able to bring experiences from their own communities to Parliament.
I have continued to press Ministers, worked with organisations including The British Horse Society and Project EDWARD, and presented a petition to Parliament.
That parliamentary pressure matters, but debate alone will not make our roads safer.
We still have a serious problem
New figures from The British Horse Society show why we cannot let this issue slip down the agenda.
In 2025, 2,810 road incidents involving horses were reported to the BHS. Tragically, 59 horses were killed, and 86 people were injured. In the incidents reported, 83% involved a vehicle passing too quickly, and 78% involved a vehicle passing too closely.
The Highway Code is already clear about what drivers should do. When passing horses or horse-drawn vehicles, drivers should do so at under 10mph and leave at least two metres of space.
But rules only work if people know about them and understand why they matter.
What am I calling for?
I want the Government to take practical action to:
improve public awareness of how to pass horses safely;
make sure equestrian road safety is properly covered in driver education and testing;
give riders and carriage drivers a stronger voice in road-safety decisions; and
work more closely with equestrian organisations to reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities.
This is not about motorists versus horse riders.
Most drivers want to do the right thing. It is about making sure everyone understands what to do when they encounter a horse and making our roads safer for everyone who shares them.
Now I need your help
Today I am launching a new national petition and call for evidence.
I’m asking riders, carriage drivers, horse owners, people working in the equestrian world, and anyone who believes our roads should be safer to do two things:
First, sign the petition.
Second, tell me what you have experienced.
If you have experienced a dangerous overtake, a frightening near miss, abuse from another road user, a collision, or another road-safety problem involving a horse, I want to hear from you.
The more signatures and experiences we can take back to Government, the harder this issue will be to ignore.
Together, we can keep up the pressure for safer roads for horses, riders, carriage drivers, and everyone who shares our roads.
