Multiple horse riders have urged drivers to take more care on rural roads after a series of frightening near‑miss incidents in the Baldwin Valley on Monday afternoon.
One rider, who was out hacking with her daughter on West Baldwin Road at around 4.45pm, said a small grey car “came speeding round a corner” on the narrow stretch.
She reported signalling the driver to slow down, but said the vehicle passed “about a metre away” at high speed.
Another rider on the Baldwin loop around 2.40pm described a similarly close encounter where by a white van passed her at speed, and was so close the van hit the end of their schooling whip.
Pass Safely
The rider claims that several other drivers ignored standard hand signals to slow down, with one couple mistakenly waving back, believing the rider was greeting them.
Both riders stressed that they routinely pull in to ease congestion, give way on hills and around parked cars, and thank every driver who slows down.
They say the majority of motorists are courteous, but a small number remain unaware of how to safely pass horses.
They are now calling for renewed awareness campaigns. “The police need to do more posts for awareness and what the signals mean,” one rider said. “Half these drivers have absolutely no idea.”
Despite the incidents, riders say the Baldwin roads are usually quiet and safe, and hope the experiences won’t deter others from enjoying the area.
The BHS Isle of Man urges riders to formally log incidents so patterns can be evidenced. The link to the report an incident can be found here.
