Horse riders gather to highlight Horsham road danger where young cyclist died

The worried riders attended a drop-in event at Rudgwick Village Hall being held to publicise traffic calming measures currently being appraised by the local parish council. The council is considering introducing a 20mph speed limit in the village.

Meanwhile, horse riders, cyclists and walkers are also calling for safety improvements to the A281 at a point where the busy road splits the Downs Link path in two at Rudgwick.Tragically, a young man on a charity bike ride died in a crash with a lorry there in July 2020.

There have since been numerous calls for a bridge to be built across the road. Alana Hawkins is one of many residents demanding action. She said a lot of people attended the drop-in event to see the village calming scheme being considered by the parish council. But, she added: “A lot of people were talking to us about a proper crossing for the Downs Link. We will keep up the pressure.”

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She said that, soon after the cyclist’s tragic death on the A281, a horse was stung by a bee while waiting to cross the road. “It moved suddenly onto the road and was hit by a car. How many more incidents before someone else is injured?”

She added: “Changes need to be made to allow safe passage across the road for all users. At the moment there is a 40 mph speed limit which few observe, and no warning of crossing traffic.”