A motorist has been disqualified from driving after shocking video footage depicted him speeding past horse riders on a rural road.
Stefan Solomon, 24, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, admitted to failing to provide details to the police after horse riders submitted video footage of a white 2022 Ford Transit van overtaking them at high speed. He has now been fined £709 and received 14 points on his driving licence, leading to a six-month driving ban.
Bodycam footage, dated 9 September 2024, captures two equestrians strolling down a country lane just after 6pm, when a Ford Transit driver overtakes them without reducing speed. The riders subsequently submitted the video to the police, along with the van’s number plate.
Solomon was sent a letter requesting him to identify who was driving his van, but by 23 October he had still failed to comply.
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At Harrogate Magistrates Court, on Tuesday, 1 July, he pleaded guilty to failing to provide those details. Magistrates fined him £709 and added 14 points to his licence. Those who accumulate 12 or more penalty points within three years are automatically given a six-month driving ban.
According to the Highway Code, motorists should pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles ‘wide and slowly’ and should reduce speed to a maximum of 10mph.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police stated: “Our area covers 3,200 square miles, with 6,000 miles of roads, many of which are rural, countryside lanes where members of the public ride horses.
“It is important for motorists to be aware that they must slow down when passing horse riders.
“Failing to do so could result in a fine, a disqualification – or in the worst case, even a serious or fatal injury.”