A 24-year-old uninsured driver has been banned from driving for six months after failing to provide his details to police when he was reported for passing two horse riders at speed on a country lane.
Stefan Solomon from Harehills in Leeds pleaded guilty at Harrogate Magistrates Court on 1 July.
He was also prosecuted for driving without insurance and for not wearing a seatbelt.
Solomon was fined £709 and 14 points were added to his licence, which resulted in a six-month disqualification.
Video footage
The case is linked to video footage captured in September 2024 of two riders out hacking on a country lane.
Footage showed a white Ford transit van approaching, passing, and heading towards an oncoming vehicle without slowing down.
The oncoming vehicle is shown to slow down and pass the riders at an appropriate speed.
The registration of the transit van is clearly visible in the footage, which was submitted to North Yorkshire Police via Operation Snap.
After reviewing it, police sent a notice of requirement to Soloman to provide driver details, but he did not comply.
“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,” said a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police.
“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, a serious or fatal injury.”
In a Facebook post, North Yorkshire police shared the video footage and reminded followers of the Highway Code: to pass a horse at a maximum of 10mph and allowing at least two metres of space.
