Drivers are being urged to slow down and give horses more space as a new road safety campaign is launched across West Yorkshire.

The campaign follows 2,800 horse-related road incidents reported nationally last year. In 2025, 59 horses were killed, 82 were injured and 86 riders were injured.

West Yorkshire Vision Zero, the region’s road safety partnership, has teamed up with the British Horse Society to remind motorists to pass horses "wide and slow" by leaving at least two metres (6.5ft) when overtaking and travelling at no more than 10mph.

The campaign also echoes calls from Wakefield equestrian campaigner Julie Fields, who has spent the past two years raising awareness of horse safety.

placeholder image — YCA has launched a new campaign.

Julie spoke out after her friend, Kelly Jowitt, was seriously injured in a collision in South Hiendley in 2024 in which her horse, Bess, had to be put down.

Since then, Julie has campaigned for stronger legal protection for horse riders and greater awareness among motorists. She has argued that more drivers should follow the Highway Code when passing horses to help prevent similar incidents.

A new campaign video shows examples of dangerous overtaking submitted through West Yorkshire Police's Operation SNAP portal.

Action was taken against all of the drivers involved. Riders are also being encouraged to submit dashcam or helmet camera footage of unsafe driving so officers can investigate potential offences.

PC Charlotte Rafton, of West Yorkshire Police's Mounted Section, said: "As well-trained as a horse can be, they are still live animals with their own minds and can be unpredictable.

"This is why the minimum distance and speed is important to keep the horse and its rider safe."

She also described how a driver once struck her horse while overtaking, leaving both horse and rider traumatised. The collision narrowly avoided injuries that could have resulted in the horse being put to sleep.

Alison Lowe, chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said motorists should remember that horse riders have the same right to use the roads as everyone else.

Drivers are advised to leave at least two metres when passing horses, slow to no more than 10mph, avoid revving their engine or sounding the horn, and be prepared to stop if a rider signals that it is not safe to pass.