Why should we wear Hi-Viz whilst out hacking?

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marbles said:
Got to be honest here, I do wear a hi viz jacket! and other rd users do adjust there speed! which is all I would expect these days!

I did here a rather scary story a few weeks ago a rider came off her horse and the horse, left the owner, got injured by a car! not fatally thank god!
Anyway, from what I can gather!
The rider was wearing hi viz, but the horse was not!
Insurance company refused to pay out?

I really dont know, how true it is, or which company it was/is?
But I did check allthe small print on my policy, and could find nothing to suggest that this may be the case!
Anyone else heard of anything like it? I'm told the owners are appealing!
I think I would!
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One of my horses got hit by a bus a few years ago - it was a bright sunny day, in the middle of a typical "horsey" area, my horse was impeccible on the roads, and we were both wearing hi-viz.
I waved my arm to signal slow down so I could move the horse into the nearby drive way. Then I put my hand out to get him to "STOP" as he didnt slow down. I made eye contact as the driver got closer - he DID see me, yet he turned his head, put his foot down and tried to squeeze a huuuuge bus down a lane next to me and my horse - despite there being barely enough room for a mini to try and pass alongside us! My guess is the bus was running really late becuase he was going fast, and he wasnt going to stop.... it was only a small stretch of road I needed to walk, and I knew the bus times like the back of my hand - which is why I had chosen to walk that way at that time....otherwise, Id have taken the longer route!

Anywho, bus hit horse, horse got dragged down the lane, the bus drove off.

I called the bus station to tell them what happened - I gave times, places, descriptions of driver, and even the bus number - all I really wanted at that point, being so shook up, was for the owner of the company to make sure the drivers of his busses knew ALL the signals for "stop" and "slow down" - and to be aware of the fact that horses are on the road too.... but the man I spoke to said "you must not have been wearing HI-VIZ, therefore I assume no responsibilty", and put the phone down on me.

I was wearing hi-viz - we both were; I was wearing "CAUTION YOUNG HORSE", and the horse was sweating under his hi-viz ex.sheet.

I should have presented the company with my vet bill.....but I got advice, and they said that it would be their word against mine r.e. Hi-VIZ - and if I couldnt prove that I was wearing such, then there would be little I could do in court to show that I had done all I could to be seen, and therefore, I would likely to have been responsible too.
Thinking about it, I wish I had tried to take things further. But being only 18 at the time, I was shook up, and didnt posess half the amount of confidance to defend myself as I do now!

Anywho, I dont know the ins and outs of the law.....but Im guessing that one is more likely to win a case if they did everything they could to be seen - I think that it just goes to show that one should make the effort, especially when on the roads - even if it is just for legal reasons!
 
montys helper said:
trust me with the bends i have to ride around no viz jacket could give them 3 seconds to slow down
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But when a car is going around tight/blind bends, they usually slow down anyway - if only to grip the road and not flip! If you are talking about little quiet country lanes then, again, cars slow down because they dont know if they are going to meet another car coming the other way.
On the above bends, the car is slow - so less likely to cause as much damage if they do hit a horse and rider....

But whats your excuse if you get hit by a car on a straight road?
On straight roads, drivers are much more likely to "speed", be less vigilant about checking the sides of the roads, and are more focused on the horizen - to where they want to be.... and thats when you could get hit if you dont make the effort to be seen!

If a car is speeding down a "straight" road, the driver focusing on the horizen, then s/he wont see the rider on the edge, all dressed in black, riding on a bay horse... and if that horse happens to spook at a plastic bag on the hedge, and jumps into the road just as the car is speeding towards them then... WHACK! They get hit!

If, however, that horse and rider was wearing hi-viz, then the driver, "speeding down a straight road, eyes on the horizen", would be far more likely to spot them - even if s/he just catches something out of the corner of their eye. The driver is more likely to see that something is there, and will become more aware of what is immediately infront of them - they are now more aware that there is something there to watch out for. Even if the driver doesnt slow down, at least s/he has had the chance to give the horse and rider a wider birth on passing!
 
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mostly, i dont. dont jump on me.

i almost got hit by a bus once, hi viz wouldnt have made a blind bit of difference (im not saying it never would, just in this case it wouldnt). bus coming round a blind bend way too quickly in a narrow country lane, i has to actually trot round corner abit stand in middle of road so he saw me then turn round and get the hell out of the way. he knew he had done wrong as he gave me the most apologetic look after, but still, if i hadnt acted how i had then i would have been roadkill tbh
 
Horses are designed to be camouflaged and actually blend in rather well into the scenery.
Please take it seriously and wear hi-viz gear for yourself and your horse.
If you read the small print - many insurance companies demand that you wear THREE significant pieces of hi-viz clothing (horse and rider) whilst riding in a public area (roads or bridleways).
Ideally you need a mix of flourescent and luminous hi-viz gear.
Be safe - be seen.
 
~*sugarlump*~ said:
mostly, i dont. dont jump on me.

i almost got hit by a bus once, hi viz wouldnt have made a blind bit of difference (im not saying it never would, just in this case it wouldnt). bus coming round a blind bend way too quickly in a narrow country lane, i has to actually trot round corner abit stand in middle of road so he saw me then turn round and get the hell out of the way. he knew he had done wrong as he gave me the most apologetic look after, but still, if i hadnt acted how i had then i would have been roadkill tbh
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That is fair enough, but next time for a different reason it could save your life and your horses, just a thought.
 
Clava said:
That is fair enough, but next time for a different reason it could save your life and your horses, just a thought.
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i am fully aware of it, and some of the time i do wear it. i know its stupid not to wear it and i am working on getting more stuff for the ponies, but usually where i do ride is quiet enough you never really see cars, and if you do they can see you from a long way off (except for the hack with the buses, and after that i have never ridden that way).

one of the hi viz jackets i do wear is an aftershock vest thing, and yes it makes drivers give me very strange looks :rolleyes::o
 
tbh, I don't see why anyone wouldn't wear it if they're riding on the roads (if you're only ever off road then not so needed!), it's not a hassle to put on a hi-viz tabard and you can get nice warm ones which are lovely in the winter. Maybe it doesn't make a bit of difference, doesn't change the speed drivers go round country bends, but there might be that one occasion where it saves your and your horses lives because you're seen sooner and the driver is able to break in time. Better to be safe than sorry IMO, it's not like the argument body protector vs. no body protector where people don't wear them because they're uncomfortable - I've never come across uncomfortable hi-viz before!
 
montys helper said:
i dont wear hi viz(pls no jumpers lol) i wouldnt be out on the road if cars had to use their lights.and im sorru i cant see how wearing hi viz will stop a car speeing round the bends on lanes ect
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it doesn't but it has been proven (apparently) that even in the best visibility, most drivers will see you in hi-viz on average 3 seconds earlier than if you weren't wearing it. could be the difference between being hit & the driver maybe having the chance to swerve to aviod you, even if they are driving like an idiot
 
Ashlea said:
But when a car is going around tight/blind bends, they usually slow down anyway - if only to grip the road and not flip! If you are talking about little quiet country lanes then, again, cars slow down because they dont know if they are going to meet another car coming the other way.
On the above bends, the car is slow - so less likely to cause as much damage if they do hit a horse and rider....

But whats your excuse if you get hit by a car on a straight road?
On straight roads, drivers are much more likely to "speed", be less vigilant about checking the sides of the roads, and are more focused on the horizen - to where they want to be.... and thats when you could get hit if you dont make the effort to be seen!

If a car is speeding down a "straight" road, the driver focusing on the horizen, then s/he wont see the rider on the edge, all dressed in black, riding on a bay horse... and if that horse happens to spook at a plastic bag on the hedge, and jumps into the road just as the car is speeding towards them then... WHACK! They get hit!

If, however, that horse and rider was wearing hi-viz, then the driver, "speeding down a straight road, eyes on the horizen", would be far more likely to spot them - even if s/he just catches something out of the corner of their eye. The driver is more likely to see that something is there, and will become more aware of what is immediately infront of them - they are now more aware that there is something there to watch out for. Even if the driver doesnt slow down, at least s/he has had the chance to give the horse and rider a wider birth on passing!
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hey please feel free to come ride where i live, trust me they dont slow down, even if someone im riding with wheres hi viz, i sometimes cletch my butt cheeks when i can hear a car coming fast and cant see it.
 
another reason why you should wear hi viz watching the telly the other day there was a rescue programme on, a woman had gone riding out on the moors, had fallen off, horse did a runner of home helcopter was launched it took them so long to find her cause she had nothing bright on, if she had had hi viz or something bright they would have found her a lot quicker. her clothes where all dark so she blended in with the ground.

my horse is palomino she stands out brightly, but i still wear hi viz my friend even wears a yellow shower cover thing on her hat as we have lanes round here when the hedges are cut you can see her bobbing along.:)
 
gunner5125 said:
it doesn't but it has been proven (apparently) that even in the best visibility, most drivers will see you in hi-viz on average 3 seconds earlier than if you weren't wearing it. could be the difference between being hit & the driver maybe having the chance to swerve to aviod you, even if they are driving like an idiot
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lol u saying that i was coming out of a thin road where the front on coming car had stopped to let me by when the car behind was going so bloody fast it breaked and had to sort of over take the car as not to hit it, if i was 5 seconds further up well, id hate to think what would have happened, trust me no hi viz would have helped me
 
Who is it that has the story about a rider falling off on the moors/something similar and the only reason she was seen byt the rescue helibopper was her high viz...?
 
montys helper said:
hey please feel free to come ride where i live, trust me they dont slow down, even if someone im riding with wheres hi viz, i sometimes cletch my butt cheeks when i can hear a car coming fast and cant see it.
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That's what you think. But they might. And they just might see you just that split second before they plough into you and your horse. But you'll probably never know :(. Maybe just maybe on that one occasion someone is driving sensibly, but they fail to see you.
Surely, it's not a chance worth taking just for the sake of a few bits of cheap flourescent clothing :confused:
 
palmerlover52 said:
Who is it that has the story about a rider falling off on the moors/something similar and the only reason she was seen byt the rescue helibopper was her high viz...?
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There was a similar story was in the BHS mag, a girl fell from her horse, dressed in brown and wasn't found for several hours even though the helicopter was right over her at one point. I think she had broken bones.
 
Rhein said:
That's what you think. But they might. And they just might see you just that split second before they plough into you and your horse. But you'll probably never know :(. Maybe just maybe on that one occasion someone is driving sensibly, but they fail to see you.
Surely, it's not a chance worth taking just for the sake of a few bits of cheap flourescent clothing :confused:
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tbh i do mean to wear a bib but alway forget to put it on, but im mostly out with ppl who do wear them. i always make my daughter wear one.
at the end of the day it is personal chioce tho.
 
Hacking out is risky business anyway so why would anyone want to add to the risks by not wearing hi viz. It is irresponsible and disrespectful to other road users, plus the fact that if you have an accident on the roads and you need to claim off insurance, they won't pay out if you were not wearing hi viz.

Honestly though, I can't understand why people do not wear it, it's nothing difficult. better safe than sorry. Even if you do not value your life, think of the horse.

If people are going to ride on public roads, I think it should be made LAW to wear hi viz
 
montys helper said:
trust me with the bends i have to ride around no viz jacket could give them 3 seconds to slow down
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Are you aware of the concept of contributory negligence?

We have an absolute RIGHT to ride on the Queen's Highway in the UK - and along with that right should come the RESPONSIBILITY to act appropriately. It is sad that so many people think nothing of grabbing their rights without giving a second thought as to their responsibilities.
 
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