Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of including equestrian safety in driving theory tests on reducing accidents.

There has been no assessment made of the potential impact of including equestrian safety in driving theory tests on reducing accidents. This would be difficult due to many confounding factors regarding accidents.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVSA) driver theory test already contains questions relating to equestrian safety, and has done for many years.

DVSA has recognised the need to promote the recognition of hazards by drivers when sharing the road with horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. These are well represented within the hazard perception part of the test, a CGI video test which requires candidates to identify developing hazards on the road in good time.

Both the multiple choice and hazard perception parts of the theory test are continually being updated and added to, with one of the focuses being on vulnerable road users such as horse riders.