Pass wide and slow: Hawke’s Bay horse rider safety in the spotlight as push for road rules intensifies

Ann Tod of the Hawkes Bay Horse Trails Advocacy Group hopes to spread awareness during a nationwide 'pass wide and slow' campaign for horse riders. Photo / Supplied

Hawke’s Bay horse riders and carriage drivers will participate in a series of special rides this month as a government petition to formally recognise horse riders as vulnerable road users in transport legislation gains momentum. Mitchell Hageman hears from those on the ground about the near-misses.

Wendy Rattray says she can probably count the number of people who bother to slow down or move over for her horse and carriage on one hand.

“I ride on the road every day, but I’m ever so grateful that my horse thinks better than human beings,” she said.

“She keeps me out of trouble more by good luck than good management.”

As a competitive carriage driver, there are limited places for her to practice or take her horse to train, and often, the rural road is the only place that doesn’t require going through a gate.

Rattray recalled at least three incidents in the past week where cars had come too close or not bothered to slow down for her and her horse.

She said that in one incident, a parked truck released its air brakes, causing her horse to move onto the roadway and turn a carriage 45 degrees.

Another saw her horse shy at a mud patch, take a step sideways, and come within a foot (30cm) of a passing car.

“I’ve been trying to get insurance because I’m going to collect a car one day. I can tell you it’s going to happen,” she said.

“Who do you expect to pay when something like a carriage runs into your car? It won’t be my fault. I’ll be sticking to as close or as far over as I can to the white line.”

Rattray isn’t the only one in Hawke’s Bay impacted by the risks and continued stress caused by some motorists.

A nationwide ‘pass wide and slow’ campaign promoting safer road travel for horses is gaining momentum locally, with a series of educational rides this month and a petition to formally recognise horse riders as vulnerable road users in transport legislation.

The message is being supported by the police, the trucking transport sector and the Automobile Association.

Ann Tod of the Hawke’s Bay Horse Trails Advocacy Group said that a common theme in the experiences of local horse riders and carriage driverss on the roads is that many vehicle drivers do not slow down.

Some even sped up deliberately when passing, and many did not give horses a safe space.

“Even horses who are confident and used to traffic can unexpectedly spook and end up on the road and into the path of vehicles. Some drivers use their horns, which can be frightening for horses and riders.”

According to the NZ Equestrian Advocacy Network, equestrians sit on the fringe of transport legislation with little to no targeted road safety education.

There was also concern over the driver licensing system as it does not include any theory or practical testing on approaching and passing a horse and rider.

“Many of us who used to be able to ride safely on our road verges no longer do so as there is more traffic, especially big trucks, travelling at higher speeds,” Tod said.

“Road verges are much narrower, and there’s a general lack of driver knowledge about road safety around horses on roads. So, it’s a lottery with not much margin for error.”

More information about the upcoming awareness rides can be found on the Pass Wide and Slow Facebook page.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community.