Frantic BMW driver causes another near-miss incident on the road for 11 year old rider

Another near-miss road incident involving a frantic BMW driver, an 11-year-old and her horse has been captured on a dashcam in Wiltshire.

Niamh Wykeham-Martin (19) was leading her sister, Izzy (11) and horse Sully out on a leisurely ride down quieter country lanes in Wanborough, Wiltshire, when a BMW was captured screeching into view with minimal regard for any of the surrounding road users at the time. The incident happened on September 22; however, the video has since been seen circulating on social media.

In the terrifying moments caught on a NEXTBASE dashcam, the horse spun into the road, almost unseating Izzy, before shooting up the bank in distress. The sharp sound of tyres can be heard, alongside pools of dust seen behind the vehicle, which further added to the extremity of the incident. Break lights on the car were visible, as the driver appeared to almost slam directly adjacent to the young ladies and the horse.

It was Niamh’s partner, Mathew, who had been driving slowly behind the pair who were more than adequately dressed in high-visibility gear, who captured the incident. Mathew stated that the driver was approaching the pair at around 80mph.

Luckily, on this occasion, no one was injured. Niamh was able to handle the situation and calm the horse quickly before the incident escalated. 

While the dangers are imminently apparent, the physiological aftermath is often evident as the horse and rider continue to deal with implications for weeks and perhaps months after the event. In addition, many riders suffer from nerves when riding, even without an incident relating to this nature.

While many drivers will slow down, passing wide and slow, the stories of those who show disregard when passing horse and rider on the road continue to flood social media daily. As organisations, riders and companies continue with campaigns to educate drivers on the real dangers of acting irresponsibly, we question what more can be done to in the future to stop this kind of incident from continuing to happen?

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Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.