British Horse Society (BHS) has today released its ten-year Dead Slow road safety statistics, revealing a welcome reduction in recorded road incidents involving horses in 2025 – but warning that fatality figures remain high.
Since the launch of the Dead Slow campaign in 2016, 19,528 road incidents involving horses have been recorded through BHS’s Horse i app. During that time, 559 horses have lost their lives and 964 have been injured. Additionally, eight people have been killed and 999 injured – an average of almost 100 human injuries every year.
In 2025, 2,810 incidents were reported – a 10% decrease compared to 2024. However, despite this reduction, 59 horses were killed last year, one more than in 2024, and 86 people were injured – an 8% increase on the previous year.
While incident numbers have fluctuated over the last decade – peaking in 2022 at 3,552 – the number of horse fatalities has risen significantly since the campaign began. In 2016, 21 horse deaths were recorded. By 2025, that figure had climbed to 59 – a 180% increase.
The changes to the Highway Code in 2022 were a pivotal milestone for the Dead Slow campaign and the equestrian community. Following significant involvement from BHS in the Highway Code review’s stakeholder group for vulnerable roads users, the updated guidance introduced the charity’s key behavioural messages for passing horses safely, including leaving at least two metres of space and passing at no more than 10mph.
However, while awareness of equestrian road safety has undoubtedly improved, the data suggests that greater work still needs to be done to reinforce this guidance.
In 2025:
- 78% of incidents occurred because a driver passed too closely
- 83% involved a vehicle passing too quickly – the highest percentage recorded since 2017
- 22% of riders experienced road rage or abuse (down from 40% in 2016)
On average, over the last ten years, 80.6% of incidents involved a driver passing too closely. The proportion of drivers passing too fast has steadily risen again since 2018.
BHS has praised the extraordinary support shown by riders, carriage drivers, volunteers, equestrian organisations, the police and road safety stakeholders over the past decade, whose reporting and campaigning efforts have made Dead Slow one of the most recognised equestrian safety initiatives in the UK. Yet the charity is still calling on the government to produce more succinct information and awareness of the changes in the Highway Code.
Alan Hiscox, Director of Safety at British Horse Society, said: “Over the last ten years, the equestrian community has come together in an extraordinary way. Riders have reported incidents, our volunteers have campaigned tirelessly, and we’ve worked with many stakeholders across the industry, and from the road safety world, who’ve supported Dead Slow with passion and commitment. That collective effort has undoubtedly raised awareness and helped reduce the number of incidents we are seeing today.
But 59 horses lost in one year is 59 too many. Behind every statistic is a devastated owner, a traumatised rider and a community that feels that loss deeply. The changes to the Highway Code were a landmark moment, and while we’re grateful for the government’s continued engagement on road safety, the data shows that dangerous passing – too close and too fast – remains commonplace.
We must continue to push for an approach that combines education, prevention and enforcement of the rules. We owe it to everyone who loves horses as much as we do and every horse in our lives to make our roads safer.”
The reduction in reported incidents in 2025 demonstrates that progress is possible. But until the number of horses and riders killed on UK roads is reduced to zero, the campaign’s work is far from complete.
As Dead Slow enters its second decade, BHS remains committed to working with the government, road user groups, police forces across the UK and the equestrian industry to drive down both incidents and fatalities.
The charity is also urging equestrians to report any incidents they witness on the roads using the Horse i app, which gathers data to help strengthen BHS’s voice when implementing positive changes.
Learn more about BHS’s Dead Slow campaign and the work that has taken place over the last ten years to raise awareness of the serious risks faced by equestrians.