Original article by Andrew Forgrave, North Wales Weekly News
We Won’t Stand by as our Horses are Mown Down
DEMAND FOR SAFETY MEASURES ON KILLER RURAL ROAD
A packed public meeting demanded greater safety for horse riders on county roads in the wake of a horrific accident on a mountain pass
More than 100 horse riders, cyclists and residents resolved to lobby Conwy County Borough Council for lower speed limits and other traffic calming measures on the Sychnant Pass, near Conwy.
It follows the death of 12-year-old horse Digby when a motorist struck him from behind as owner Gillian Singleton hacked out towards Dwygyfylchi
Gillian suffered minor injuries but Digby died at the scene from leg and internal injuries.
The incident outraged horse riders and galvanised local residents amid concerns the road’s 60mph speed limit is excessive.
Some have begun wearing helmet cams to record evidence of careless driving, while nearby landowners have offered to erect roadside signs and posters warning of the dangers.
“I am not aware of any motorists being prosecuted for killing a horse,” said Wendy Tobias-Jones, the British Horse Society’s road safety officer for north east Wales.
“Independent witnesses are hard to find an our worry is that it has become open season for motorists to run into horses”
Last Monday night, at Conwy Guild Hall, a meeting of concerned residents hear motorists were responsible for a catalogue of near misses on the Sychnant Pass.
Everyone had a story but the consensus was that too few incidents were being reported to the police and local authority.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting was TV farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, secretary of the Carneddau Mountain Pony Society, who outlined how three ponies had been killed on the road within months of each other.
Other farmers had lost “scores” of sheep on the road, he said. Many were at night when hit-and-run drivers left dying animals at the roadside.
“When we lost a couple of ponies three years ago, one motorist tried to sue us for the damage caused to his vehicle,” said Gareth.
“The ponies were there long before cars yet people have lost respect for livestock”
“Sychnant pass is often a rat-run when there are road works on the A55 at Penmaenmawr, and to have a 60mph speed limit on such a windy, twisty road is just crazy.”
“I would like to see signs installed on the road that flash a warning of animals in the road”.
Monday’s gathering agreed to seek a 30mph speed limit along the Sychnant Pass. A follow-up meeting has been arranged with Conwy Council, North Wales Police and Snowdonia National Park Authority.
One fear is that traffic volume will increase significantly if developers succeed in winning planning consent for 93 homes on land west of Sychnant Pass. Aa public inquiry into the proposal is scheduled at the end of October.
Wendy added: “Horses are spooked by cars that hurtle down the straight towards Conwy and hit the cattle grid at 60mph”
“When the A55 was upgraded, the then Welsh Office made Sychnant the desiganated route for horse riders and carriage drivers, but without the necessary safety measures. We think this gives us a strong argument”.
Conwy Council said warning signs were installed on the pass in 2014. Since then these have been supplemented with signs warning of sheep in the road