Title: Equestrians Honor Lives Lost on New Zealand Roads During Road Safety Week 2025

43 equestrians and horses pay their respect to the 43 lives lost whilst riding or driving a horse on New Zealand’s roads as part of Road Safety week 2025.

“Most motorists are great but you only need one driver who doesn’t take account. To me it’s very personal because I was hit by a motorbike whilst riding once and my horse was killed. Pass Wide and Slow. It is a matter of life and death.” Ros, Waimakariri Riding Club member.

Recently obtained statistics by Pass Wide & Slow NZ (PWASNZ) have revealed the true extent of suffering on New Zealand roads and equestrians are determined to lead positive change.

“We know far more people have been killed than previously thought. Health New Zealand figures show forty people aged between 10 and 79 years died whilst riding or driving a horse-drawn vehicle on the road between 2000 and 2019. There is an even split between men and women,” says PWASNZ Founder Julia McLean.

PWASNZ subsequently learned of a further three lives lost between 2022-2024 that currently sit with Worksafe New Zealand.

“Road safety is a collective responsibility and kotahitanga/unity is key to leading change. We wish to acknowledge the aroha and respect shown by Waimakariri Riding Club members in preparing this photo to illustrate the equestrian community’s loss of life,” says McLean.

“One death is one too many, but this degree of suffering is tragic. We feature in this country’s Road Toll and yet no authority has ever spoken of these statistics to inform road safety or enforcement improvements,” McLean says.

Health NZ uses an internationally recognized coding system to record deaths and says these deaths are transport accidents and they may involve no collision, or could involve cycles and pedestrians, or trains, or even stationary objects.

Pass Wide & Slow New Zealand has been established to fill the void of no targeted Driver Education on how to approach and safely pass a horse and rider on the road.

“We know this important road safety message will save lives. Our website is a destination for resources, stakeholder and community support and is giving a voice to people who no longer need to suffer in silence. We are strongly advocating for enforcement and driver education improvements to improve road safety outcomes for this vulnerable group of people,” says McLean.