Emergency responders urge drivers to prioritize safety around horse-drawn vehicles

Horse-drawn buggies can often be seen travelling on Waterloo Region roads and they’re also a part of our cultural heritage.

“They are the smallest, lightest vehicle you're going to encounter on the highway [and] they are at peril if we don't do our part in paying attention,” said Const. Kevin Martin with South Bruce OPP.

Recent collisions, between vehicles and buggies, have highlighted the need for heightened awareness and caution when it comes to road safety.

“The youth ride in the back of the buggy so any time we have a collision with a horse and buggy, we're talking about lives of a young person," Martin explained to CTV News.

RECENT COLLISIONS

Martin, an advocate for horse and buggy safety, is concerned about the noticeable increase in collisions involving horse-drawn vehicles.

Here are three from the past year:

• Jan. 9, 2024: A semi truck collided with a horse and buggy near Wingham. OPP said the crash happened just north of Bok Line on County Road 4. Two occupants in the horse and buggy had non-life threatening injuries, according to officials. The semi truck ended up nose down in the ditch, while the horse and buggy ended up in the opposite ditch.
• Dec. 18, 2023:OPP said one child was killed and another hurt after a vehicle struck their horse drawn buggy just north of Milverton. The collision happened on Line 71, west of Perth Road 140, around 4 p.m. OPP said there were two children in the buggy at the time. One, a 13-year-old, was later pronounced dead in hospital. The other, an 8-year-old, was taken to a trauma centre with unspecified injuries. The driver of the vehicle was also taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The horse was killed in the collision.
• May 4, 2023:Five people were taken to hospital and two horses were euthanized after a horse and buggy collided with a van in Mapleton Township. Wellington County OPP said it happened around 8:30 a.m. at 8th Line between Wellington Road 12 and Side Road 18. Three people were taken to a hospital in Fergus with minor injuries and two others were airlifted to a trauma centre in Hamilton with serious injuries. Officials said two horses needed to be euthanized following the collision.

"On those days where we have those terrible, terrible collisions, everything stops,” Martin explained. “They are with their deceased, [the community] will do the chores, do whatever is required, and cook their meals as a community. It's wonderful how they band together."

Many of the collisions are attributed to distracted driving, speeding and a lack of understanding regarding then limitations of horse and buggy travel.

"[You have a] 12 km/hr buggy [and] an 80 km/hr vehicle, you can understand if you crest a grade or take a curve, we have some hazards there.”

INCREASED SAFETY MEASURES

Emergency personnel have noticed more horse and buggy users are implementing safety measures.

"On the rear of the buggy they have strips of reflective tape that will catch the headlights," Martin said.

“We’ve noticed better visibility for buggies too, so that’s why we haven’t seen as many fatalities as we have seen in the past,” said Dennis Aldous, the fire chief for the Township of Woolwich. “They’re putting more LED lights on them to make themselves more visible so they don’t get hurt themselves.”

EDUCATING THE PUBLIC

Martin said a common misconception the public has when it comes to horse-drawn vehicles is that this mode of transportation has to operate on the shoulder of the road.

“In actual fact, under the Highway Traffic Act, the horse and buggy is a vehicle and should use the travel portion of the road," he explained.

In light of this, Aldous said the goal is to educate the public on sharing the road safely.

"A buggy is made out of wood, they don't take an impact like a vehicle would,” he said. “If you spook a horse it can all of a sudden just turn and go right into the line of traffic and there's nothing the driver can do about it."

The Township of Woolwich is working to raise awareness around the vulnerability of horse-drawn vehicles through community initiatives.

"We go out and do talks with police, with EMS. They do have like a farm day for the younger adults, [where] they get road safety, fire safety."

Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, drivers of motor vehicles must exercise every reasonable precaution to avoid frightening horses to ensure the safety of anyone driving, leading or riding a horse.