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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

New Highway Code rule of 2 metres between cars and horses for overtaking

202 replies

01iv30i1 · 08/01/2022 14:53

If not possible you must wait.

Those of us who live and use country lanes with no alternative are now going to take hours to get anywhere.

OP posts:
PurpleRainlnTheSky · 08/01/2022 17:27

@01iv30i1

YABU and ridiculous. 2 metres is nothing. The horse and rider would very likely only take up a metre in width, and very VERY few country lanes are less than 3 metres wide, so what's the problem? Confused

And I know that most roads are not any narrower than 3 metres wide, as I live deep in the countryside (3 miles from the closest A or B road...) 90% or more of the roads I drive around are wider than 3 metres. Even the rarely-used small roads (that only lead to one or two farms) are wider than 3 metres.

What a stupid thread! Hmm

Original poster
01iv30i1 · 08/01/2022 17:28

No I’m saying I do leave a safe gap but it isn’t 2 metres.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 08/01/2022 17:29

[quote PurpleRainlnTheSky]@01iv30i1

YABU and ridiculous. 2 metres is nothing. The horse and rider would very likely only take up a metre in width, and very VERY few country lanes are less than 3 metres wide, so what's the problem? Confused

And I know that most roads are not any narrower than 3 metres wide, as I live deep in the countryside (3 miles from the closest A or B road...) 90% or more of the roads I drive around are wider than 3 metres. Even the rarely-used small roads (that only lead to one or two farms) are wider than 3 metres.

What a stupid thread! Hmm[/quote]
Um... you seem to have forgotten about the width of the overtaking car.

Original poster
01iv30i1 · 08/01/2022 17:31

An average car is about 2 metres, then you get your 2 metres gap snd then the metre sbd above width of a horse. So you’re looking at 5 metres width minimum. Our country lanes aren’t 5 metres in width.

Anyhow moot point. Horse groups were embellishing. It’s 2 metres if you can not it must be.

OP posts:
Original poster
01iv30i1 · 08/01/2022 17:31

ErrolTheDragon😂Scary!

OP posts:
MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 08/01/2022 17:32

The horse and rider would very likely only take up a metre in width, and very VERY few country lanes are less than 3 metres wide, so what's the problem?

Well there needs to be 2m between horse and car which will also be about 2m. So 5 meters required in total.

eurochick · 08/01/2022 17:36

This is a road near me. It's inside the M25, not some rural spot with little traffic. There are stables along it and it is frequently used by riders. It's busy as there are two schools nearby. Luckily local riders are sensible about waving cars through at suitable spots but there is no way to leave 2m.

New Highway Code rule of 2 metres between cars and horses for overtaking
ErrolTheDragon · 08/01/2022 17:36

Our country lanes aren’t 5 metres in width.

But most of them do have some sections this wide, even if they're generally narrower. Horses are generally plodding along not much more than walking pace so don't need nearly as long a section as a fast moving cyclist does. And a cyclist also needs a good width to overtake safely, they're a much commoner cause of delays than horses IME.

PumpkinPie2016 · 08/01/2022 17:37

I live rurally and always leave 2+ meters when passing a horse. I also go very slowly.

I am not a lover of horses as I find they can be very unpredictable so I like to give them a wide berth!

A horse getting spooked by a car and bolting would be dangerous for the horse/rider/car driver and other road users.

The lane I live on is only 3m so no, you can't over take a horse on it. I keep my distance and go slowly. 99% of riders will pull in as soon as they are able to.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 08/01/2022 17:37

[quote PurpleRainlnTheSky]@01iv30i1

YABU and ridiculous. 2 metres is nothing. The horse and rider would very likely only take up a metre in width, and very VERY few country lanes are less than 3 metres wide, so what's the problem? Confused

And I know that most roads are not any narrower than 3 metres wide, as I live deep in the countryside (3 miles from the closest A or B road...) 90% or more of the roads I drive around are wider than 3 metres. Even the rarely-used small roads (that only lead to one or two farms) are wider than 3 metres.

What a stupid thread! Hmm[/quote]
Yes, but if you include the width of the overtaking car in that three metres, the road often isn't wide enough to pass with a 2m GAP between the horse and the side of the car.

We have a lot of roads like that here but riders stop and pull as close to the side as possible, and cars slow to a crawl (as in 2-3mph) and pass as far away from them as is possible.

torquewench · 08/01/2022 17:37

@01iv30i1

Me neither. You didn’t read the op. It’s when you can’t overtake for several miles. You can’t now if you can’t leave 2 metres.
SEVERAL miles?????!!!!! AKA Things That Will Never Happen #562928.

You're an idiot if you actually think a horse or rider is going to be happy with being tailgated for miles.

ChristmasTreeBee · 08/01/2022 17:42

I live in the country and there a bloody horses everywhere - I hate the fucking things…

Most of the riders around here are entitled twats!! And have been known to deliberately make it difficult to overtake! I reported the dash cam footage to the police who did fuck all!

There are enough bridleways near me so a horse theoretically doesn’t need to be any where near a highway!

Sadly the Highway Code seems to have been written by an imbecile.

Annoyingly I could be fined for not having my dog on a lead yet a 2 ton horse which could cause significantly more damage is allowed in roads

WindyState · 08/01/2022 17:45

People who move to the country and get annoyed about country things....

FFS. Stay in the city if horses annoy you.

liveforsummer · 08/01/2022 17:45

Annoyingly I could be fined for not having my dog on a lead yet a 2 ton horse which could cause significantly more damage is allowed in roads

The horse is 'on a lead' also what sort of mutant horses are around your parts that weigh 2T? I'd like to see that.

WindyState · 08/01/2022 17:46

@ChristmasTreeBee

I live in the country and there a bloody horses everywhere - I hate the fucking things…

Most of the riders around here are entitled twats!! And have been known to deliberately make it difficult to overtake! I reported the dash cam footage to the police who did fuck all!

There are enough bridleways near me so a horse theoretically doesn’t need to be any where near a highway!

Sadly the Highway Code seems to have been written by an imbecile.

Annoyingly I could be fined for not having my dog on a lead yet a 2 ton horse which could cause significantly more damage is allowed in roads

"...written by an imbecile. "

The irony.

Original poster
01iv30i1 · 08/01/2022 17:47

WindyState

Born and bred where I live thanks.Hmm

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 08/01/2022 17:55

@01iv30i1

Me neither. You didn’t read the op. It’s when you can’t overtake for several miles. You can’t now if you can’t leave 2 metres.
Most riders will move over at the earliest opportunity
liveforsummer · 08/01/2022 18:01

If I was riding on a lane so narrow that no car could squeeze by without coming within inches as being reported on this thread and there was bizarrely no gateway for miles then I'd stop my horse, turn its haunches to the hedge/fence and wave them by, alternatively if my horse was nervous and wouldn't stand then I'd indicate for the driver to stop and turn and pass them in the opposite direction so they were then in front of me. Even the most sound horse would get nervous after a while of being tailgated so I'd avoid that at all costs

Tommika · 08/01/2022 18:09

@GrandmasCat

Is that a new rule at all? It was always specified that you need to leave enough space when overtaking bikes and horses as if you were overtaking a car. That is approximately 2 meters and that rules has been there at least for 20 years!
You’re right, it’s always been in the rules of the roads to leave appropriate space, and also with the other ‘new’ rule, it’s always been against the rules to run over pedestrians crossing

The new rules give guidance on how much space to give.
Leaving 2 metres space when overtaking is advising people to actually overtake by moving over to the other lane. If you can’t go out across the other lane to overtake then there isn’t the space to overtake

For narrow country lanes quoted by the OP, if there isn’t the space of another lane then oncoming vehicles are more of a problem, the OP needs to slow down and pass other road users at the passing points.

A friend of mine once encountered a tractor towing a long trailer on a narrow country lane whilst she was driving a horse lorry.
Neither could pass, the nearest overtaking point was behind the tractor but his combined tractor and trailer were unsuitable to reverse along a country lane, her lorry was too big for her to see to reverse and avoid being hit by anyone coming up behind

The tractor driver got out, directed her to reverse, got back in his tractor and drove to catch up, got out and directed her ….. etc
It took time, but common sense resolved the problem of long vehicles meeting on a narrow lane

Ariela · 08/01/2022 18:13

Can I just say that if you do not want horses on the road and find them an inconvenience, your best bet is join the British Horse Society, find your local Bridleways group and help them promote and create safer off road routes. Our localish one has had lovely new off road bridleways built on the back of new housing estates, taking riders off the road completely.

countrygirl99 · 08/01/2022 18:13

Another thread where poor driving standards and the low expectations of drivers are flagged.

Polkadotties · 08/01/2022 19:03

2 tonne 😂 it’s a horse not an elephant.

ChristmasTreeBee · 08/01/2022 20:11

I may have over estimated how much they weigh…sadly my crushed car didn’t tell me how much the thing weighed (I was stationary in a passing place and the horse spooked and crushed the front end of my ford ranger before I get jumped on…)

Lived in the country all my life actually (just moved further into it to get away from people) - have to admit it’s only been the last 5 years that’s I’ve noticed the issue with horses.

Still hate the bloody things like I did when I was small! Petrified of them actually

As Sherlock Holmes said ‘dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle’

Magnited · 08/01/2022 20:14

@01iv30i1

If not possible you must wait.

Those of us who live and use country lanes with no alternative are now going to take hours to get anywhere.

Have you thought that you might have been the reason why this rule needed to be introduced?
Dogscanteatonions · 08/01/2022 20:18

OP you're being ridiculous.

Just fucking slow down and pass wide and slow, you shouldn't be passing horses with less than 2m.. This happened yesterday. So sad and utterly avoidable www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/essex-traffic-travel-two-horses-6462423