Police are stepping up enforcement of little-known Highway Code guidance requiring motorists to slow to 10mph when passing horses, amid concerns that dangerous overtaking manoeuvres continue to put riders and other road users at risk.
South Wales Police has launched Operation Arabis, a road safety initiative developed in partnership with the British Horse Society and Project EDWARD, the national road safety campaign.
The programme combines enforcement with public education in an effort to improve compliance with rules governing interactions between motorists and equestrians.
The initiative reflects growing concern over the number of incidents involving horses on public roads, particularly on rural routes where vehicles often travel at higher speeds.
Under Rule 215 of the Highway Code, motorists are advised to reduce their speed to no more than 10mph when approaching or overtaking horses. Drivers are also instructed to leave at least two metres of clearance, avoid revving engines or sounding horns, and pass only when it is safe to do so.
The latest enforcement exercise focused on roads around Miskin in South Wales after data collected by the British Horse Society identified the area as a location with repeated reports of unsafe driving around horses.
Mounted officers patrolled the route without visible police markings, allowing them to observe motorists’ behaviour in normal traffic conditions. Drivers judged to have passed horses unsafely were stopped and spoken to by officers, with enforcement action taken where appropriate.
During the operation, police stopped 27 vehicles. Seven motorists received roadside advice about their driving, while one driver was issued with a traffic offence report.
The operation forms part of a broader effort by police forces and road safety organisations to improve awareness of risks faced by vulnerable road users. Horses remain particularly susceptible because, despite training, they retain strong instinctive responses to perceived threats. Sudden noise or vehicles passing too closely can cause animals to panic, creating risks for riders, motorists and pedestrians alike.
Police also used this year’s Royal Welsh Show to reinforce safety messages, engaging directly with drivers and equestrians about best practice when sharing the road.
Sergeant Terresa Sullivan of South Wales Police said data collected through the British Horse Society’s incident reporting system had become an important tool in identifying locations requiring targeted enforcement.
Road safety organisations argue that greater awareness, rather than tougher penalties alone, will be essential to reducing collisions. With rural traffic volumes increasing and more people using the countryside for recreation, police believe encouraging motorists to follow existing Highway Code guidance could play an important role in improving safety for all road users.
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