The British Horse Society has reported significant progress in horse road safety over the past decade through its Dead Slow campaign, though horse fatalities rose slightly in 2025. Incidents fell 10% last year to 2,810, but 59 horses were killed. The society urges continued reporting and action to eliminate road deaths.
The British Horse Society (BHS) released its 2025 incident statistics as it commemorates 10 years of the Dead Slow campaign, launched in 2016 to improve equestrian road safety. Since inception, 19,528 incidents have been reported, resulting in 559 horses killed, 964 injured, eight people killed, and 999 injured. In 2025 alone, incidents dropped 10% from 2024 to 2,810, with 82 horses injured but 59 killed—one more than the prior year—and 86 people hurt, up 8% from 2024, according to BHS data reported by Horse & Hound. No human fatalities occurred last year. BHS director of safety Alan Hiscox expressed disappointment over the slight rise in horse deaths but noted the overall downward trend in incidents. “I’m really disappointed to see the number of horses killed has gone up slightly but the number of incidents reported has fallen,” Hiscox said. “The slant of the curve is going in the right direction.” Key achievements include 2022 changes to the Highway Code prioritizing vulnerable road users like horses. Hiscox has engaged MPs, government officials, police, and motoring events nationwide. Recent momentum came from a 2025 awareness ride from Lambourn to Windsor, organized with Project EDWARD (Every Day Without a Road Death), sparking parliamentary debates and calls for legislative tweaks. Hiscox emphasized maintaining pressure: “I don’t want the momentum to drop off. I’m biting at people’s heels.” MPs raised equestrian concerns post-government road safety strategy release, prompting letters to the Department for Transport. Project EDWARD founder James Luckhurst praised the campaign's impact, committing ongoing support. Hiscox called for full incident reporting to enable interventions like driver education and signage, crediting a 2024 reported racehorse death in Lambourn for fueling recent advances. “59 horses lost in one year is 59 too many,” he said, vowing persistence until zero road deaths.
