Equine road user safety: Public attitudes, understandings and beliefs from a qualitative study in the United Kingdom

Chapman, Catherine; Musselwhite, Charles

doi:10.1016/j.aap.2011.06.009

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…As these questions are multi-disciplinary, so too do they require data from various sources, including but not limited to: Surveys and questionnaires—to obtain a wider perspective on a range of issues, and to generate quantitative results for policy development and advocacy around horse and rider safety [ 67 , 68 ]. Interviews and focus groups—to explore controversial subjects that pertain to risk and safety of both the horse and rider [ 45 , 69 ]. Ethnographic research—to study the actual practices of equestrians; and identify risk management strategies consistent with the motivations, beliefs and values of eque-cultures [ 26 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review of Horse-Related Risk: A Research Agenda for Safer Mounts, Riders and Equestrian Cultures

Thompson¹,

McGreevy²,

McManus³

2015

Animals

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While the importance of improving horse-related safety seems self-evident, no comprehensive study into understanding or reducing horse-related risk has been undertaken. In this paper, we discuss four dimensions of horse-related risk: the risk itself, the horse, the rider and the culture in which equestrian activities takes place. We identify how the ways in which risk is constructed in each dimension affects the applicability of four basic risk management options of avoidance, transference, mitigation and acceptance. We find the acceptance and avoidance of horse-related risk is generally high, most likely due to a common construction of horses as irrevocably unpredictable, fearful and dangerous. The transference of risk management is also high, especially in the use of protective technologies such as helmets. Of concern, the strategy least utilised is risk mitigation. We highlight the potential benefit in developing mitigation strategies directed at: (a) improving the predictability of horses (to and by humans), and (b) improving riders’ competence in the physical skills that make them more resilient to injury and falls. We conclude with the presentation of a multidisciplinary agenda for research that could reduce accident, injury and death to horse-riders around the world.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review of Horse-Related Risk: A Research Agenda for Safer Mounts, Riders and Equestrian Cultures

Thompson¹,

McGreevy²,

McManus³

2015

Animals

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“…It is easy to understand that where so many people, horses and traffic come together, the potential of negative interaction and accidents increases. A study of Chapman comes to the conclusion that in comparison to other vulnerable road user groups, horse riders have not received much attention in transport policy and campaigns and training of drivers how to deal with horse riders on public roads is needed (Chapman and Musselwhite 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traffic accident-related injuries in horses

Schwenk¹,

Fürst²,

Bischofberger³

2016

PHK

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Summary: Horses involved in road traffic accidents (RTAs) are commonly presented to veterinarians with varying types of injuries. The aim of this study was describe the pattern and severity of traffic accident-related injuries in horses in a single hospital population. Medical records of horses either hit by a motorized vehicle or involved in RTAs whilst being transported from 1993 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed and the following data was extracted: Signalement, hospitalisation time, month in which the accident happened, cause of the accident, place of the accident and type of vehicle hitting the horse. Further the different body sites injured (head, neck, breast, fore limb, abdomen, back and spine, pelvis and ileosacral region, hind limb, tail and genital region), the type of injury (wounds, musculoskeletal lesions and internal lesions) and the presence of neurological signs were retrieved from the medical records. 34 horses hit by motorized vehicles and 13 horses involved in RTAs whilst being transported were included in the study. Most of the accidents where horses were hit by motorized vehicles occurred during December (14.7 %) and October (14.7 %), horses were most commonly hit by cars (85.3 %) and the majority of accidents occurred on main roads (26.5 %). In 29.4 % of the cases, horses had escaped from their paddock and then collided with a motorized vehicle. Most of the accidents with horses involved in RTAs whilst being transported occurred during April (30.8 %) and June (23.1%). In 76.9 % of the cases the accident happened on a freeway. In the horses hit by motorized vehicles the proximal hind limbs were the body site most commonly affected (44.1%), followed by the proximal front limbs (38.2 %) and the head (32.4 %). When horses were involved in RTAs whilst being transported the proximal fore limbs (61.5 %), the proximal hind limbs (53.8 %) and the distal hind limbs, back and head (38.5 % each) were the most common injured body sites. Wounds were the most common type of injury in both groups (85.3 % hit by motorized vehicle, 76.9 % transported ones). In horses hit by a motorized vehicle 35.3 % suffered from fractures, in 20.6 % a synovial structure was involved and in 5.9 % a tendon lesion was present. 14.7 % suffered from internal lesions and 14.7 % showed neurologic symptoms (40 % peripheral, 60 % central neurologic deficits). On the other hand, in horses involved in a RTA whilst being transported 30.8 % suffered from fractures. There were no synovial structures injured and no tendon injuries were present. Furthermore there were no internal lesions present and only one horse involved in a RTA showed central neurologic symptoms. Injuries of horses being hit by a motorized vehicle were more severe than when horses were protected by a trailer and involved in a RTA whilst being transported. The study has been able to identify the different injury types of traffic accident-related injuries in horses. Awareness of the nature of these injuries is important, to avoid underestimation of their severity.

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“…Chuang et al's (2013) finding of decreased rider stability during a lengthy overtake even hints at one possible mechanism for this. Since Walker's study, there has been a certain amount of interest in the subject of how bicycle helmets affect bicyclists' and non-bicyclists' perceptions of risk (Curnow, 2008;Fyhri, Bjornskau & Backer-Grondahl, 2012;Pucher & Buehler, 2008) and how close drivers will pass bicyclists on the road (Chapman & Noyce, 2012;Chuang et al, 2013;Love et al, 2012;Parkin and Meyers, 2010) -an issue which has even been expanded to drivers passing horse riders (Chapman & Musselwhite, 2011).…”

Section: Kingdommentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of a bicycle commuter's appearance on drivers’ overtaking proximities: An on-road test of bicyclist stereotypes, high-visibility clothing and safety aids in the United Kingdom

Walker

Garrard

Jowitt

2014

Accident Analysis & Prevention

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This study looked at whether drivers overtaking a bicyclist changed the proximities of their passes in response to the level of experience and skill signalled by the bicyclist's appearance. Seven outfits were tested, ranging from a stereotypical sport rider's outfit, portraying high experience and skill, to a vest with 'novice cyclist' printed on the back, portraying low experience. A high-visibility bicycling jacket was also used, as were two commercially available safety vests, one featuring a prominent mention of the word 'police' and a warning that the rider was video-recording their journey, and one modelled after a police officer's jacket but with a letter changed so it read 'POLITE'. An ultrasonic distance sensor recorded the space left by vehicles passing the bicyclist on a regular commuting route. 5690 data points fulfilled the criteria for the study and were included in the analyses. The only outfit associated with a significant change in mean passing proximities was the police/video-recording jacket. Contrary to predictions, drivers treated the sports outfit and the 'novice cyclist' outfit equivalently, suggesting they do not adjust overtaking proximity as a function of a rider's perceived experience. Notably, whilst some outfits seemed to discourage motorists from passing within 1m of the rider, approximately 1-2% of overtakes came within 50 cm no matter what outfit was worn. This suggests there is little riders can do, by altering their appearance, to prevent the very closest overtakes; it is suggested that infrastructural, educational or legal measures are more promising for preventing drivers from passing extremely close to bicyclists.

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Equine road user safety: Public attitudes, understandings and beliefs from a qualitative study in the United Kingdom

Cited by 17 publications

References 14 publications

A Critical Review of Horse-Related Risk: A Research Agenda for Safer Mounts, Riders and Equestrian Cultures

A Critical Review of Horse-Related Risk: A Research Agenda for Safer Mounts, Riders and Equestrian Cultures

Traffic accident-related injuries in horses

The influence of a bicycle commuter's appearance on drivers’ overtaking proximities: An on-road test of bicyclist stereotypes, high-visibility clothing and safety aids in the United Kingdom

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