Dashcams serve a purpose for documenting the reckless actions of other motorists, and now a volunteer at Free Rein Horse Rescue is urging fellow riders to do the same following a near miss incident on a busy road.
Ellie Cogger claimed the horse she was riding was hit by a motorist while she and four other riders were trotting to get off the congested stretch and avoid aggravating drivers.
She described how she motioned for a driver to stay back as the volume of traffic at that time didn’t allow for wide enough passage. She claims the driver shook his head and drove forward into her horse’s legs to push him forward.
11-year-old ex-racehorse Apollo suffered no bruising or swelling but was said to be “a bit tender” after the incident.
Following the review of Ellie’s footage, the police have served the motorist involved with a notice of intended prosecution. She now recommends that other riders think about taking a camera out on the road with them,
“I initially bought a GoPro adapter for my iPhone to record our rides but it proved more than useful in this instance. I would encourage more riders to make this move. Just as I would encourage other road users to install dash cams.” she said.
“All road users need to be more considerate of each other.”
In 2016, hi-visibility equipment company Gizpaw launched a scheme following conversations with riders at the British Equestrian Trade Association International (BETA) trade fair; offering hat cameras to record instances of dangerous driving.
The jury is still out on the safety implications of such devices. British Eventing (BE) banned the use of hat cams in 2015 based on lack of information on their potential dangers in a fall.
It was speculation from a French journalist which prompted discussions around the ban. Jean-Louis Moncet said he believed that the injuries sustained by Formula One driver Michael Schumacher in a skiing accident were worsened by his head camera. However, he noted that this was only his opinion.
The British Horse Society recommends contacting your local police force about problematic stretches of road to see if a mobile speed camera can be set up in the area.
To find out about Equine Insurance, which can include cover for injury, talk to our farm team at McClarrons. Call Malton: 01653 697055, Richmond: 01748 850250 or email farm@networkportfolio.co.uk/mcclarroninsurance.com.
For more interesting information and facts around riding safety, see our latest blog post by visiting our news page here.
Sources:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/rider-urges-others-buy-cameras-road-incident-643597
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2014/05/03/british-inventor-develops-tail-mounted-video-camera/
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/british-eventing-hat-camera-ban-483608
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/hat-cameras-horse-riders-on-roads-530064
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2014/05/03/british-inventor-develops-tail-mounted-video-camera/