Agenda item

To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet (Minute 615(g)) as an amendment to the following Notice of Motion submitted previously to the Council by Councillor Hannaford and referred thereto in accordance with Standing Order 8(2), namely:

 

Council notes with concern that:

 

Numbers of road collisions involving horses in the South West are higher than anywhere else in the country, according to the latest figures.

 

New statistics released by the British Horse Society (BHS) show that 203 incidents were reported to the charity during 2019-20, down slightly from 239 in 2018-19.

 

Devon reported over half of the overall total with 104 incidents, one human fatality and 33 horse fatalities, also making it the county with the highest equine fatality rate in the UK.

 

The BHS has collated incident statistics to tie in with Road Safety Week (November 16-22) run by Brake, the road safety charity, to understand the rate of incidents involving horses on UK roads.

 

Of the 1,037 incidents reported nationally, 80 horses have died and 136 have been injured.

 

Furthermore, the BHS reveals that 81% of them occurred due to vehicles passing by too closely and close to half (43%) of riders were subject to road rage or abuse. It adds that 40% of incidents occurred because a vehicle passed by too quickly.

 

Overall, since November 2010, 4,774 road incidents have been reported to the BHS, 44 people have lost their lives and 1,220 have been injured, and 395 horses have been killed, with another 1,080 injured.

 

Council supports:

 

The Dead Slow campaign that can be visited at the website bhs.org.uk/dead slow, consists of four key behavioral change messages to drivers in relation to horses and riders:

·         Slow down to a maximum of 15mph;

·         Be patient – I won’t sound my horn or rev my engine;

·         Pass the horse wide and slow (if safe to do so), at least a car’s width if possible;

·         Drive slowly away.

 

Council Resolves: 

 

With the documented increase in speeding incidents we support the charity in urging drivers to be very careful when passing horses on the road, and for them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages.

We join with the BHS to encourage all riders and horse owners to report their incidents to the charity at horseincidents.org.uk.

 

Furthermore, as Devons highways authority we will aim to work with horse owners & riders, local communities, District, Town and Parish Councils, charities and others to wherever possible promote this campaign, in tandem with other measures such as better signage, to achieve behavioral change and secure better equine safety for all’.

 

Having had regard to the aforementioned, any factual briefing/position statement on the matter set out in Report (CSO/21/1) and other suggestions or alternatives considered at that meeting the Cabinet subsequently resolved:

 

that Council be recommended to;

 

(a)  work with local communities, through partnerships with other agencies, and on-line to support the BHS in urging drivers to be very careful when passing horses on the road, and for them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages;

 

(b)  join with the BHS to encourage all riders and horse owners to report their incidents to the charity at horseincidents.org.uk;

 

(c)  undertake a study of the detailed data from the BHS of the reported equestrian incidents within the county; and

 

(d)   use the results of the study to identify any problem areas and patterns for signing intervention to improve driver awareness and to target education.

Decision:

Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that Council take the following action. (a) work with local communities, through partnerships with other agencies, and on-line to support the BHS in urging drivers to be very careful when passing horses on the road, and for them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages; (b) join with the BHS to encourage all riders and horse owners to report their incidents to the charity at horseincidents.org.uk; (c) undertake a study of the detailed data from the BHS of the reported equestrian incidents within the county; and (d) use the results of the study to identify any problem areas and patterns for signing intervention to improve driver awareness and to target education. The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.

Minutes:

Pursuant to County Council Minute 337 of 3 December 2020 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor Hannaford that: 

 

Council notes with concern that:

 

Numbers of road collisions involving horses in the South West are higher than anywhere else in the country, according to the latest figures.

 

New statistics released by the British Horse Society (BHS) show that 203 incidents were reported to the charity during 2019-20, down slightly from 239 in 2018-19.

 

Devon reported over half of the overall total with 104 incidents, one human fatality and 33 horse fatalities, also making it the county with the highest equine fatality rate in the UK.

 

The BHS has collated incident statistics to tie in with Road Safety Week (November 16-22) run by Brake, the road safety charity, to understand the rate of incidents involving horses on UK roads.

 

Of the 1,037 incidents reported nationally, 80 horses have died and 136 have been injured.

 

Furthermore, the BHS reveals that 81% of them occurred due to vehicles passing by too closely and close to half (43%) of riders were subject to road rage or abuse. It adds that 40% of incidents occurred because a vehicle passed by too quickly.

 

Overall, since November 2010, 4,774 road incidents have been reported to the BHS, 44 people have lost their lives and 1,220 have been injured, and 395 horses have been killed, with another 1,080 injured.

 

Council supports:

 

The Dead Slow campaign that can be visited at the website bhs.org.uk/dead slow, consists of four key behavioral change messages to drivers in relation to horses and riders:

·         Slow down to a maximum of 15mph;

·         Be patient – I won’t sound my horn or rev my engine;

·         Pass the horse wide and slow (if safe to do so), at least a car’s width if possible;

·         Drive slowly away.

 

Council Resolves: 

 

With the documented increase in speeding incidents we support the charity in urging drivers to be very careful when passing horses on the road, and for them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages.

We join with the BHS to encourage all riders and horse owners to report their incidents to the charity at horseincidents.org.uk.

 

Furthermore, as Devons highways authority we will aim to work with horse owners & riders, local communities, District, Town and Parish Councils, charities and others to wherever possible promote this campaign, in tandem with other measures such as better signage, to achieve behavioral change and secure better equine safety for all’.

 

and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 615(g) of 13 January 2021:

 

Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that Council take the following action.

 

(a)  work with local communities, through partnerships with other agencies, and on-line to support the BHS in urging drivers to be very careful when passing horses on the road, and for them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages;

 

(b)  join with the BHS to encourage all riders and horse owners to report their incidents to the charity at horseincidents.org.uk;

 

(c)  undertake a study of the detailed data from the BHS of the reported equestrian incidents within the county; and

 

(d)   use the results of the study to identify any problem areas and patterns for signing intervention to improve driver awareness and to target education.

 

The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.