Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with (a) the equine sector, (b) local authorities and (c) road safety bodies on enforcing safe driving practices around horse riders.

The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and my Department works with a broad range of stakeholders, including discussions with the British Horse Society, to help us achieve our aim.

In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders.

Local authorities are responsible for road safety on the local road network. The Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness and provides local authorities with guidance on road safety measures but it is up to individual authorities to determine how they meet their statutory duty.