Road Safety

Road Safety

PEI horseback riders currently have few options when it comes to riding off-road. The only managed, safe equestrian trail system that receives public funding is the Forest Hill Trail, in Kings County, which, more often than not, leaves riders in other parts of the Island with little recourse but to ride on public roads.

Some equestrians are lucky enough to have trailers or to have easy access to quiet Heritage Roads. Many others either ride primarily on busier side roads, or on paved highways.

Even though PEI has the highest per capita horse ownership in Canada, equestrians agree that there is a lack of awareness among motor vehicle drivers regarding safe passing of horseback riders sharing the road. Stories of injury or near-misses are easy to come across in discussions with fellow riders.

PEI Trail Riders is committed to improving road safety for equestrians via developing educational materials, liaising with the RCMP, and working with the provincial government to ensure that the safety of horseback riders is included in future road safety campaigns.

Recommendations for Improved Legislation

The Province is seeking input regarding improvements to highway safety. You may provide your input via their survey until July 4, 2025. Find the survey in English here and in French here.

The Highway Safety Act currently does not have PEI Trail Riders was invited to meet with the Department of Transportation in March of 2022 to present a review of legislation in other provinces, and to make recommendations for changes to the Highway Safety Act that would improve the safety of equestrian road users.

On Prince Edward Island, as in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, horses are specifically included in the definition of "traffic", and the rights and duties of riders are specifically mentioned as being the same as motor vehicle operators. Unlike Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, there is no additional or specific legislation regarding how motor vehicle operators should interact when meeting or passing horses, or how horseback riders should conduct themselves on the road.

We suggested the following rules for drivers:

* Drivers should be required to pass a horse giving one car width of space.

* When passing or meeting horses on the road, drivers should slow to either 60km/hr, or 20 km/hr slower than the posted speed, whichever is slower.

*When approaching or passing a horse, it should be illegal to honk horn, throw an object, rev the engine, or otherwise engage in activity that could predictably frighten a horse.

* Drivers should be required to follow the hand signals from riders as they would indicator lights on vehicles, including directions from riders to slow down or stop.

*If a horse becomes “frantic” or appears frightened, or a rider appears to have lost control, a driver must stop and not proceed until it appears to be safe to continue, or is signaled by riders that it is safe to continue

We suggested the following rules for riders:

* Mandatory ASTM-approved helmets for people under 18.

* Rider must use high-visibility safety garb, the minimum requirement being a high-visibility vest or quarter sheet.

* Riders must use hand signals when planning to stop or turn.

* Riders are required to carry liability insurance.

We also discussed whether or not the following safety ideas would be of value: riding in closed-toe footwear should be mandatory, i.e. riding in sandals or flip-flops would be prohibited; requiring riders to stay as far right as safely possible; requiring equestrians to ride single file along paved roadways, and if riding two or more abreast on clay roads, requiring riders to assume single file formation when approached by a motor vehicle; requiring children under 12 to be accompanied by an adult.