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Roads: Horses

Asked by Shivani RajaConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 18 May 2026UIN 1428

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she considered including horse riders, carriage drivers and their horses among vulnerable road users in the Road Safety Strategy; and what targeted measures she plans to introduce to improve safety outcomes for equestrians.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood

A main focus for this Government is to make our roads safer for all users, which will in turn reduce the risk to horse riders, carriage drivers and their horses.

Our new Road Safety Strategy was published on 07 January and sets out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to improve road design, protect vulnerable road users, and review motoring offences.

The Department already recognises that horse riders are vulnerable road users with safety needs. Accordingly, the Highway Code covers horse riders and the need for drivers to exercise special care in relation to them.

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