Yahoo News North Tyneside horse rider organises road safety event in Holystone to educate drivers
A North Tyneside horse rider has organised a road safety event in Holystone to educate drivers. Adam Lumsden, 37, became aware of drivers' lack of care for horses when he started riding five years ago.
A family friend of Adam's kept horses, and the family fell in love after spending time with them. Adam and his wife Holly then decided to get their own horses, setting up their living space in Holystone.
Adam then found out about a road safety initiative after discovering it on Facebook, Pass Wide and Slow, which has seen 240 rides take place to raise awareness. The rides began in the UK, and moved to New Zealand, the USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland and South Africa.
Read more: Consultation on reducing speed limit on Northumberland road increasingly used by cyclists
Speaking about the Holystone ride which he is organising, Adam said: "As horse riders, we don't want to always be on roads, but we have to cross them sometimes to follow the correct routes. We want to make drivers aware of what they should do when horses are on the road, and how they should approach them.
"On the road outside of out stable area, it's a 40mph limit but we have seen people flying past at 50 and 60mph. I've only previously took part in rides but decided to start organising them as I feel like the more awareness that we can raise the better.
"People need to know that it is in the Highway Code that horses should be passed at a distance of 2 metres and at a speed of 10mph. Too many drivers at the moment don't slow down, and as you can imagine, the horses get terrified by this.
"We are not just speaking for horse riders, but all vulnerable road users, as it is so important to make sure that everyone is following the rules that are there to keep everyone safe."
For more information on the Pass Wide and Slow event, visit the Facebook page here. To get involved in Adam's Holystone ride, visit his Facebook page here.
