Skip to main content

Cow care

In the UK, Hungerford Common has a bylaw allowing cows to wander freely. But it was recently suggested that cows should be dressed in reflective jackets with luminous detailing and flashing lights so as to boost safety. Apparently there is concern from the local authorities that cows could be hard to see and that they could present a hazard to passing motorists. The herders commented that it might make more sense to lower the speed of vehicles in the area and also suggested that any motorists unable to s
September 11, 2015 Read time: 1 min
In the UK, Hungerford Common has a bylaw allowing cows to wander freely. But it was recently suggested that cows should be dressed in reflective jackets with luminous detailing and flashing lights so as to boost safety.

Apparently there is concern from the local authorities that cows could be hard to see and that they could present a hazard to passing motorists. The herders commented that it might make more sense to lower the speed of vehicles in the area and also suggested that any motorists unable to see a cow not wearing reflective apparel are unlikely to be safe behind the wheel in any case. However elsewhere in the UK, cows have been equipped with reflective collars in a bid to reduce the risk of the animals being hit by cars.

Related Content

  • A virtual virtuous circle
    March 19, 2021
    Virtual sensors will allow a safer driving experience and reduce road maintenance costs. Tactile Mobility’s Eitan Grosbard talks to David Arminas
  • State of the art tunnel a conservation triumph
    May 2, 2012
    The opening of a 1.8km tunnel in southern England is designed to ease traffic bottlenecks in an environmentally sensitive area. Patrick Smith reports
  • State of the art tunnel a conservation triumph
    February 28, 2012
    The opening of a 1.8km tunnel in southern England is designed to ease traffic bottlenecks in an environmentally sensitive area. Patrick Smith reports
  • Put down that phone behind the wheel
    January 27, 2017
    The recent news that the road casualty rate in the Netherlands has seen an increase should ring alarm bells in many areas. It is worth bearing in mind that the Netherlands has some of the safest roads in the world. But the latest research carried out by Dutch insurance umbrella body Verbond van Verzekeraars shows that the road fatality rate grew from 570 in 2014 to 621 in 2015, while the number of road crashes increased by 6.5% to 841,000 in 2015. Nor is this trend limited to the Netherlands: the problem