What should I do when there's a horse-drawn vehicle on the road?

Globe and Mail

29-06-2025

What are drivers supposed to do when they encounter horses or horse-drawn buggies on the road? Few people, especially if they're from cities, understand how deadly collisions between horses and cars can be. – Mike, Ontario
If you come up on a horse and buggy on the road while you're driving, just hold your horses.
'You're going to approach them very cautiously and you're only going to pass when it is completely safe to do so,' said Constable Randi Crawford, with the Oxford County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). 'It's very similar to what you're supposed to do when you see slow-moving farm equipment [or any other slow-moving vehicle].'
It's 'not uncommon' to see horse-drawn vehicles in Oxford County, about 50 kilometres southwest of Kitchener, Ont., and other parts of Ontario with Amish and Mennonite communities, Crawford said.
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Some in those communities reject modern technology, including cars – and use horses instead.
'They can be found not only in the rural communities but also in towns,' she said. 'Several businesses still provide hitching stations for the horses in their parking lots or on their properties.'
Because horse-drawn vehicles don't count as motor vehicles under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act (HTA), they don't need licence plates or registration – and drivers don't need a driver's licence, Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO) said in an e-mail.
But they do need either a slow-moving vehicle sign or reflective tape on the back of the buggy that is visible from at least 150 metres away, MTO said.
In Ontario, horses and horse-drawn vehicles are allowed on all roads except the 400-series highways, Crawford said.
'I would say mostly they stick to the less-travelled roads as much as they can,' she said. 'And the average speed, from what I've gathered from talking to different people in the community, is about 14 kilometres an hour.'
Horse-drawn vehicles have to keep to the right, just like all slow-moving vehicles. While they're not required to ride on the shoulder – if there is one – it's usually the safest place for them to be, Crawford said.
'We all know that some of these roads can be quite narrow, so a shoulder maybe wouldn't always be the safest place because of a deep ditch, a bridge or a mailbox coming up ahead,' she said. 'It's really just them using their best judgment.'
Horse-drawn vehicles also need to follow 'the same rules of the road as everyone else,' including stopping at stop signs, she said.
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But, the law also has specific rules for how drivers behave around horses on the road.
For instance, section 167 of the HTA states you have to 'exercise every reasonable precaution to prevent the frightening of the horse.'
Horses can get spooked by loud noises – including engine revving, horns, loud music or a dog barking through an open car window – cars following too closely and even bright lights.
'Horses have a flight response – so they're not going to take on a tractor, they're going to turn around and run away,' said Margot Vilvang, a riding coach in Vancouver. 'You have to be vigilant as a rider – think a little bit like a horse, who think everything is out to get them.'
Even a car riding slowly alongside to take pictures of the horse and buggy – something that happens a lot in Amish country – can be unsettling, OPP's Crawford said.
'Imagine trying to walk in someone else's shoes or ride in someone else's buggy,' she said, adding that it's best to pass slowly, as far away from the horse as you can, without honking or lingering beside the horse. 'When I'm out on the road and I've pulled someone over and I'm standing at a car, the amount of discomfort that I feel when a car zips by me is just unsettling. So just be cautious, mindful and courteous.'
That also means giving horses or horse-drawn vehicles plenty of space instead of tailgating them, she said.
While the rules vary by province, horses and horse-drawn vehicles are generally allowed on public roads. Some provinces have exceptions for certain types of roads – in Quebec, for instance, horses are not allowed on freeways.
Also, cities and towns may have their own bylaws about whether – and where – horses and buggies are allowed.
Toronto, for instance, bans riding horses and horse-drawn vehicles on streets and sidewalks. There are exceptions for the police and the military – and for special events including parades, Toronto police said in an e-mail.
Calgary allows horses on roads, but commercial horse-drawn vehicles need a permit, Calgary police said in an e-mail.
Dangerous encounters
When cars hit horses or horse-drawn vehicles, horses, riders and passengers can face serious – and even fatal – injuries, Crawford said.
'The risk of injury or death to the buggy drivers or the horses are high,' she said. 'They don't have that big steel frame around them to help keep them safe.'
Crawford said there have been no fatal collisions involving a horse so far this year in her district, although there were two with serious injuries.
Last December, two passengers in a horse-drawn buggy were seriously injured and the horse was killed in a collision in Norwich township, between Hamilton and London. In January 2022, a 27-year-old driver of a horse-drawn buggy was killed near Wingham, about 90 kilometres northwest of Kitchener when the horse veered into oncoming traffic.
It's not clear how many collisions there are involving horse-drawn vehicles in Ontario each year. That's because collision reports don't specifically identify whether a horse-drawn vehicle was involved, the MTO said.
In these communities, most local drivers expect to see horse-drawn vehicles on the road, Crawford said.
'Often, [the danger] is maybe people who are travelling through the area that might not know it too well,' she said. 'If you are visiting an area that you are not familiar with, do a quick search on your computer so you can understand what kind of communities you'll be going through … It can help you predict traffic challenges such as horse-drawn vehicles and slow-moving farm equipment."
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