Thursday, 2 February 2012 10:21am

Horses: Vehicles on our roads

Many of the old rules relating to the interaction between cars and horse riders have been removed from the legislation. Horses are now classed as vehicles!

In both the Road Traffic Act and the Australian Road Rules, a reference to a driver generally includes a rider. 2Feb_horses

Sharing the roads safely

So, before you saddle up or hitch up the wagon, keep in mind that the Road Traffic Act and Australian Road Rules also generally apply to anyone riding or in control of animals or animal-drawn vehicles, in just the same way as they apply to vehicle drivers.

As a rider of any vehicle, those in control of a horse must ride with due care and consideration for other road users. It is worth reminding car drivers of this too and that beeping a horn impatiently to overtake horse riders on the road is not permitted!

There are some key road rules that horse riders need to know before they take to the highways and the byways:

× A rider is allowed to ride in the opposite direction to a one-way sign providing that the rider is on a footpath, nature strip or shared path. Some Councils prohibit the riding of animals on certain paths, so check out your route carefully first.

× The rider of an animal must give way to any pedestrians on a footpath or nature strip

× Neither drivers or passengers of a motor vehicle are permitted to lead an animal while the motor vehicle is moving, including by tethering the animal to the motor vehicle, unless the driver is permitted to do so under another law.

× A rider can travel two abreast as long as they are no more than 1.5 metres apart from each other

× The rider of an animal who is in the far left marked lane of a roundabout with 2 or more marked lanes, must give way to any vehicle leaving the roundabout.

Riding at night?

A person must not ride an animal-drawn vehicle at night, or in hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility, unless the vehicle is fitted and displays;

(a) a white light fitted at or towards the front of each side of the vehicle that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the front of the vehicle; and

(b) a red light fitted at or towards the rear of each side of the vehicle that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the rear of the vehicle; and

(i) not over 1.5 metres above ground level; and

(ii) clearly visible for at least 50 metres from the rear of the vehicle when light is projected onto it by another vehicle's headlight on low-beam.

In conclusion, please remember that as a horse rider you need to obey road rules, and as a vehicle driver you need to share the road.

Happy trails!

For more information please go to www.legislation.sa.gov.au and search Australian Road Rules and Road Traffic Act.