July 18th, 2007
Horse owners and enthusiasts have raised a petition on Downing Street, asking for support in blocking a proposed change to the Highway Code which could be in force as early as August.
The proposed code will forbid riding two horses abreast on narrow and busy roads and when riding around bends. It will also exclude horses from all cycle tracks.
There can be many valid reasons for riding two abreast: groups of riders, nervous horses, novice riders, and defensive riding on winding country lanes where there is insufficient room for a car to pass a single horse safely.
Breaches of the new rules in the Highway Code could potentially be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Road Traffic Acts in order to establish that the horse rider was liabile in an accident.
There are many road accidents involving horses every year which result in serious injury and sometimes even death, this change in the highway code has potential to change the way compensation claims are investigated, as a Solicitor claiming against a negligent horse rider will be looking to see if they were abiding by the new highway code rules.
