Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations protecting horse riders in Fylde constituency.

Government is committed to making our roads safer for all users, which will in turn reduce the risk to horse riders.

The new Road Safety Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035.

This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to improve road design, protect vulnerable road users, and review motoring offences.

The Department already recognises that horse riders are vulnerable road users with safety needs. Accordingly, the Highway Code covers horse riders and the need for drivers to exercise special care in relation to them.

Rule 49 of the Highway Code highlights the legal requirement for children under the age of 14 to wear a helmet that complies with the Regulations and advises all other riders to follow these requirements.