why do motorests have no respect for tractors on roads

bk1991

hey guys why do moast people driveing on the roads have no respect for us driveing tractors and other agri machinery not saying all people i have seen some people who have patience and do wait and are very pleased when u pull over to let em pass but most just stay sitting under the back of the trailer right up the back bulling us of the road and then when they do pass they look at us much as to say **** of the road when these drivers stay up the back of the trailer it would be very easy for them to crash into back of trailers no one knows when a wire could work loose or a bulb blow on a trailer that have been hopping empty on the road or across the feild

Random

Commas, full stops, paragraphs. I like them sometimes.

People dislike tractors because they're slow, they get in the way and they generally hold everything up. People try close enough to the back of the tractor as they are trying to get past it as soon as the road is clear.

I don't neccessarily agree with tailgating that close .. but it'll be the bloke in the car who takes the damage at the end of the day.

Busta Hyman

i prefer to hang 15 - 20 feet behind and at the first gap drop it 2 gears and scream past at 1,000,000 mph in me turbo starlet ......................

Big Nasty

This one's not gonna be pretty..........

Pete67

No problem with tractors using the roads for access to lands etc, but using tractor/trailer rigs to transport tons of grain/silage/hay etc 20 or 30 miles on single lane roads is taking the piss. Use a truck for gods sake!

x in the city

because tracktors and farmers are ignorant and doing give a fluck about other road users perhaps?

Ash.J.Williams

x in the city wrote: »

because tracktors and farmers are ignorant and doing give a fluck about other road users perhaps?

and food comes from the supermarket right?

high horse

of course it would be nice if tractors would pull over once every 10 - 15 miles to let a few of the cars stuck behind them pass...

maidhc

I have been at both sides of the fence here, I commute 40 miles a day, but I also have 4 tractors in the shed at home.

As a tractor driver you see all kinds of kamikaze pilots pulling off all kinds of stunts to get past you when it is plain dangerous.

But that said most tractor drivers show a certain amount of disregard bordering on ignorance to the fact they are doing 25 mph. The standard of driving tractor drivers show is APPALLING for the most part, and this is not surprising due to the fact a 16 yo with a provo can get behind the wheel unsupervised.

When I drive on the road in the tractor I rarely let people wait behind me more than 3-5 minutes, a lot less if I can pull in easily, maybe more if there is simply nowhere safe to allow them pass. I generally get an acknowledgement from the driver for my efforts. However I will add that I don't do much roadwork, and pulling in every few minutes could get irritating (and expensive in terms of slowing the days work) for some of the guys drawing silage.

I think the driver training regime should be tightened. In particular the age thing needs to be sorted, but likewise people must realise there are about 3 months in the year when there will be a good few tractors on the road and to make allowances for this in their journey times.

Danno

ALL "R" and "N" routes should have hard margins to allow agri traffic to drive along.

starbelgrade

I live in a rural part of Sligo, so I meet my fair share of tractors.. generally, they're sound enough - what really bugs me though is old people driving in the middle of the road at slow speeds who are impossible to over-take & white van drivers, bombing at you in the opposite direction, forcing you to negotiate a ditch.

madmac187

I dunno maybe its the fact your taking up all the road, blocking it, covering it in ****e causing accidents, pulling out infront of cars, won't pay road tax and get away with it, won't pull in and let traffic off. Maybe also if this country was say America or most of Europe you would be allowed to have the machines on the road because of their width, because you don't have to nct them, maybe because you can wield a dangerous weapon like a tractor of perhaps 30tonne with a loaded trailer with a licence that has not practical test, maybe because most young lads on them think they know everything when driving them and do damage and cause accidents. Or maybe its the simple fact that ye are just too dangerous and have no consideration for anyone else on the road. This and also the fact that apparently tractors don't need to have lights or do trailers because we can break them off, not replace bulbs or ever use them.....

Am I forgeting anything, If I am add it

starbelgrade

madmac187 wrote: »

I dunno maybe its the fact your taking up all the road, blocking it, covering it in ****e causing accidents, pulling out infront of cars, won't pay road tax and get away with it, won't pull in and let traffic off. Maybe also if this country was say America or most of Europe you would be allowed to have the machines on the road because of their width, because you don't have to nct them, maybe because you can wield a dangerous weapon like a tractor of perhaps 30tonne with a loaded trailer with a licence that has not practical test, maybe because most young lads on them think they know everything when driving them and do damage and cause accidents. Or maybe its the simple fact that ye are just too dangerous and have no consideration for anyone else on the road. This and also the fact that apparently tractors don't need to have lights or do trailers because we can break them off, not replace bulbs or ever use them.....

Am I forgeting anything, If I am add it

Cripes... you might have a heart attack if you don't learn to relax a bit.

Robbo

Because what we regard as a "W License" may become a "qw leeeseense"?

milltown

This is going to end in tears

IBTL!

Dan_B

I dunno maybe its the fact your taking up all the road, blocking it, covering it in ****e causing accidents, pulling out infront of cars, won't pay road tax and get away with it, won't pull in and let traffic off. Maybe also if this country was say America or most of Europe you would be allowed to have the machines on the road because of their width, because you don't have to nct them, maybe because you can wield a dangerous weapon like a tractor of perhaps 30tonne with a loaded trailer with a licence that has not practical test, maybe because most young lads on them think they know everything when driving them and do damage and cause accidents. Or maybe its the simple fact that ye are just too dangerous and have no consideration for anyone else on the road. This and also the fact that apparently tractors don't need to have lights or do trailers because we can break them off, not replace bulbs or ever use them.....

Am I forgeting anything, If I am add it

+1
Last night got stuck behind a tractor pulling grain.
20Kph from just outside kilcock the hole way to sallins (15Km).
Musta been 50 cars behind him, I was about half way back so nothing I could do. W**ker!

Rowley Birkin QC

x in the city wrote: »

because tracktors and farmers are ignorant and doing give a fluck about other road users perhaps?

Post reported. Every time a topic about farmers/tractors comes up you seem to spout the same nonsense.

On topic, I have to agree with Maidhc as I've been on both sides of the fence. As a tractor driver I let people past whenever it's safe and convenient to do so and as a motorist I wait for a safe opportunity to pass out the tractor rather than sitting on it's backside like some of the kamikazes out there.

Heroditas

high horse wrote: »

of course it would be nice if tractors would pull over once every 10 - 15 miles to let a few of the cars stuck behind them pass...

Don't worry. Many of them are "considerate" enough to use the motorways now so you can overtake them.... while they crawl at 20kmph in the hard shoulder :rolleyes:

Max Headroom

starbelgrade wrote: »

Cripes... you might have a heart attack if you don't learn to relax a bit.

I have a mate who has plenty of time to relax....he's paralised in a wheelchair after crashing on crap dragged onto a road by a tractor/trailer........

Run_to_da_hills

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

and food comes from the supermarket right?

Most of Tescos supplies are imported.

I can't stand farmers that don't have the courtesy to pull in to the hard shoulder when theres a line of traffic behind them, more so in their large jeeps and cattle trailers on mart days.

EPM

bk1991 wrote: »

no one knows when a wire could work loose or a bulb blow on a trailer that have been hopping empty on the road or across the feild

And thus should be checked before going on the road, just like cars:rolleyes:

Pete67 wrote: »

No problem with tractors using the roads for access to lands etc, but using tractor/trailer rigs to transport tons of grain/silage/hay etc 20 or 30 miles on single lane roads is taking the piss. Use a truck for gods sake!

Infuriating and the height of ignorance when this happens

x in the city wrote: »

because tracktors and farmers are ignorant and doing give a fluck about other road users perhaps?

:rolleyes:

maidhc wrote: »

I think the driver training regime should be tightened. In particular the age thing needs to be sorted, but likewise people must realise there are about 3 months in the year when there will be a good few tractors on the road and to make allowances for this in their journey times.

+1. People need to chill slightly when they are on the roads. The amount of near misses because people HAVE to get past them is ridiculous, especially when you wait for a safe spot to overtake and you are right behind the kamakaze overtaker 5 mins later. It's true that some tractors are doing their own thing and fcuk the rest of ye but the vast majority of tractors I see always make an attempt to keep as far left as possible and slow when an overtaking opportunity arises for the following cars

Drummerboy08

The last piece of Agri machinery i was behind was last Friday evening. It was a combine, and there was at least a one mile tailback behind it. Thats why i dont respect farmers on the roads. There were several spots he could have safely pulled in and out of, to let other cars past, but, na, he wasnt having any of it.

If experienced the same with tractors, who pass an area which is safe to pull in and out of, but refuse to let other road users by. It really annoys me sometimes that these people dont respect other road users.

Hagar

Heroditas wrote: »

Don't worry. Many of them are "considerate" enough to use the motorways now so you can overtake them.... while they crawl at 20kmph in the hard shoulder :rolleyes:

I thought slow moving vehicles are not allowed on motorways?

Drummerboy08

Hagar wrote: »

I thought slow moving vehicles are not allowed on motorways?

Exactly.

Amtmann

Unfortunately once your vehicle can do a minimum of 50 km/h you may use a motorway. This is madness obviously, and as far as I know the RSA are looking at having this changed.
Tractors have NO place on any of our motorways, at any time.

stevenmu

Simple, it's because those of us who drive cars are clearly far more important. We're far too important to take a few minutes out of our lives to let someone else go about making their living, and we're definitely far to important to spend time considering the safety of other road users. Those 3 minutes that would be wasted sitting behind some useless tractor could be far more productively spent on the golf course, or sitting in a restaurant telling everyone how important we are. And by the way, the rules of the road don't apply to us, they exist to keep everyone else of our way.

mullingar

What is the situation with tractor insurance on the public road?

Is it required? Is it checked?

Max Headroom

stevenmu wrote: »

Simple, it's because those of us who drive cars are clearly far more important. We're far too important to take a few minutes out of our lives to let someone else go about making their living, and we're definitely far to important to spend time considering the safety of other road users. Those 3 minutes that would be wasted sitting behind some useless tractor could be far more productively spent on the golf course, or sitting in a restaurant telling everyone how important we are. And by the way, the rules of the road don't apply to us, they exist to keep everyone else of our way.

+1 i totally agree with stevenmu...he gets my "important" vote..:rolleyes:

road_high

Respect for farmers/tractors on the roads is earned frankly; and this is why motorists have no respect for tractor drivers. The amount of times I have been stuck behind them :rolleyes:

Drummerboy08

stevenmu wrote: »

Simple, it's because those of us who drive cars are clearly far more important. We're far too important to take a few minutes out of our lives to let someone else go about making their living, and we're definitely far to important to spend time considering the safety of other road users. Those 3 minutes that would be wasted sitting behind some useless tractor could be far more productively spent on the golf course, or sitting in a restaurant telling everyone how important we are. And by the way, the rules of the road don't apply to us, they exist to keep everyone else of our way.

Three minutes???! What about the 45 minutes it took me to complete a normally 15 minute journey??!

Step down off your high horse there Steve, and we can talk about this properly...;)

peasant

I have a lot of patience for my neighbours (i.e. real farmers) that are going about their business. They are all courteous and try to impede traffic as little as possible on their way to and from farm & field

The guys that usually take the pi$$ however are building and other contractors who haul heavy machinery and other stuff over long distances with tractors where trucks would be more appropriate.

Bazzy

I've seen three accidents with farmers/ farming machinery in the past month .

1. Rathcoole flyover on the N7- Farmer with an overloaded trailer full to beyond its capacity left the roundabout heading across the flyover the trailer then shed the top of its load which happened to be about 4 or 5 bales of hay onto the pavement.

Luckily no one was onto it to make the plot better the police came over had a laugh with said farmer and drove off.

2. A Farmer at the Baldonnell Roundabout had a long flatbed trailer on the back of his tractor. Going aronf the roundabout a large bucket for a jcb or similar fell off. Whole roundabout blocked.

3. Same night going home from work a tractor had toppled its trailer obviously going too fast that caused the junction to be closed off for about an hour and left large marks chipped out of the tarmac.

So safety is obviously not something they take very serious from what I have seen anyway !

stevenmu

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Step down off your high horse there Steve, and we can talk about this properly...;)

What, and lower myself to the common people :pac:

Three minutes???! What about the 45 minutes it took me to complete a normally 15 minute journey??!

In fairness that would seriously p*ss me off. There are two sides alright, there are some very inconsiderate tractor drivers out there who seriously delay people by not taking a few seconds to pull in when they can do so. But the large majority of tractors I've run into have gone out of their way to let people past, and there is a serious problem with drivers who are far to impatient to just wait a minute for a safe opportunity to pass.

Drummerboy08

stevenmu wrote: »

In fairness that would seriously p*ss me off. There are two sides alright, there are some very inconsiderate tractor drivers out there who seriously delay people by not taking a few seconds to pull in when they can do so. But the large majority of tractors I've run into have gone out of their way to let people past, and there is a serious problem with drivers who are far to impatient to just wait a minute for a safe opportunity to pass.

I do appreciate it when the considerate drivers move over to let traffic pass. In my experience, if you come accross 5 tractors on the road, 4 will try to move over and let traffic flow, but there is always one who just refuses to move. It isnt right. Im also impatient when it comes to being stuck behind one, but if i look past and see there is not enough room to go by, i'll hang back and leave a bit of room. Im not going to risk my life for two minutes. IMO however, its the guys who are stuck behind a tractor for ten or fiftenn minutes who will try a dangerous manouver to go by.

If i remember right, there was a case not too long ago where a farmer was brought to court for failing to move over and let traffic by, or something like that. I know it caused uproar, but i think it should happen more.

biko

OP, certain car drivers believe the roads were only built for them and their German cars, not for farmers.
Sure, I'd prefer it if tractors were only allowed out during night time but that's not how it works unfortunately. If tractor driver were obliged by law to pull over that'd might help.

neil_hosey

As far as Im concerned, if a tractor is on a road its because there land is on either side of it. Its their livelihood and IMO their road. They've been sing it alot longer than i have.

People hung up on speed trying to overtake tractors when a tiny gap appear are the dangerous ones, they cause the accidents.

bubblewrap

Tractors can't help being slow really can they? They aren't exactly light on their feet!

However what I don't like is those big trucks with about 200 bails of hay just waiting to jump on you. :eek:

Pete67

Pete67 wrote: »

No problem with tractors using the roads for access to lands etc, but using tractor/trailer rigs to transport tons of grain/silage/hay etc 20 or 30 miles on single lane roads is taking the piss. Use a truck for gods sake!

You obviously have less than no clue about how things work. You cannot drive a truck in and out of fields getting grain, or drive along beside a forage harvester with a truck as there are special trailers designed for this and they can only be pulled by tractors and trucks are not designed for driving in fields. Then at the other end a tractor may be needed for access to where the load is being emptied etc. Also do you expect farmers/contractors to buy trucks for transporting as well as buy tractors for their other jobs. Cop on to yourself. Anyway most tractors pulling big loads like grain would be able to travel almost as fast as a truck would on a single lane road.

I also drive tractors on the road regularly for farm work and have done a lot of it in the past when driving a tractor for a builder. I would be on the road most of the day moving machines and getting supplies from the hardware. I would never leave people behind me when possible but some people driving cars dont realize that just because there is space to pull in does not mean its suitable as for instance they dont understand that if you pull in at the bottom of a hill with a lot of weight behind you it can take a long time to get going again etc etc.

In general I dont find tractors a problem on the road and I find trucks travel at a much more annoying speed i.e. too slow to make good progress but too fast to overtake easily. I think car drivers inability to overtake when they have a chance causes a lot of the tail backs where someone refuses to overtake and then people wont over take the useless driver and the tractor at the same time.

Saab Ed

Guys I have to say in fairness to both sides and typical of this country its the system that causes arguments like this. On the continent agri lanes are provided usualy running right along side the road itself outside of towns. It uses up the edge of the field and traverses everybodies land so that all agri vehicles can use it. Agri vehicles caught on the road where an agri lane is provided end up fined and it leaves narrower country roads safer and free from large work machines. In fairness to farmers here they have no choice but to be on the public road but in reality some of thoses machines have no place on a public highway.

cpoh1

Ok this is how I see it.

For the tractor boys:
1. Its their living and they need to get the work done.
2. They cant go any faster whether they like it or not.
3. Often roads are unsuitable for pulling over/in.
4. Most farmers make an effort at being curteous on the road to other users

Against the tractor boys:
1. A lot of tractors are unroadworthy (very poor lighting etc.)
2. Often farm debris is left on the road making road conditions dangerous.
3. Often farmers are ignorant of the needs of drivers to get about their business in a reasonable timeframe i.e. pulling over for a faster moving group of cars.

It can be potentially dangerous when people get frustrated behind a tractor with a large group of cars behind and he's refusing to pull over. The driver who makes the dangeous move is not the only one culpable in situations like this imo.

--Kaiser--

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

If i remember right, there was a case not too long ago where a farmer was brought to court for failing to move over and let traffic by, or something like that. I know it caused uproar, but i think it should happen more.

The farmer was holding up miles of traffic and refused to pull over even though he passed several places suitable to do so, there was a Garda in that tailback and he arrested him, fair play to the cop I say, but the majority of farmers aren't like that.
If I remember correctly he was banned for 2 years

Magnus wrote: »

Sure, I'd prefer it if tractors were only allowed out during night time but that's not how it works unfortunately. If tractor driver were obliged by law to pull over that'd might help.

Not practical, what about dairy farmers who have to work early in the morning and late in the evening? They have to sleep sometimes

Johnny Utah

Need to get one of these:

Problem solved!

coup1917

Jase Quaint Nurse wrote: »

I think car drivers inability to overtake when they have a chance causes a lot of the tail backs where someone refuses to over take and then people wont over take the useless driver and the tractor at the same time.

Nail on the head there...

There are just far too many people who will sit in behind a slow moving tractor/truck or even just another car.. They aren't compentent enough to overtake and end up causing tailbacks behind..

An overtaking manouver should be examined in the driving test

mcwhirter

bk1991 wrote: »

hey guys why do moast people driveing on the roads have no respect for us driveing tractors and other agri machinery not saying all people i have seen some people who have patience and do wait and are very pleased when u pull over to let em pass but most just stay sitting under the back of the trailer right up the back bulling us of the road and then when they do pass they look at us much as to say **** of the road when these drivers stay up the back of the trailer it would be very easy for them to crash into back of trailers no one knows when a wire could work loose or a bulb blow on a trailer that have been hopping empty on the road or across the feild

Because they can't spell motorist:D

bk1991

Pete67 wrote: »

No problem with tractors using the roads for access to lands etc, but using tractor/trailer rigs to transport tons of grain/silage/hay etc 20 or 30 miles on single lane roads is taking the piss. Use a truck for gods sake!

stick a truck in a feild and ul see why

bubblewrap

mcwhirter wrote: »

Because they can't spell motorist:D

Or field! :pac:

high horse

neil_hosey wrote: »

As far as Im concerned, if a tractor is on a road its because there land is on either side of it. Its their livelihood and IMO their road. They've been sing it alot longer than i have.

So if its their land on either side of that road and a tractor is in fact an off road vehicle, they really have no need to be on that road except to cross over to their land on the other side then, right?

My neighbours have their own tracks just inside the ditch for the tractor to drive on and only cross at one point. Cuts down on the amount of muck left trailing down the local roads. This is because they have to live in the area too and don't want to piss off everybody in the neighbourhood

De Hipster

cpoh1 wrote: »

Ok this is how I see it.

For the tractor boys:
1. Its their living and they need to get the work done.
2. They cant go any faster whether they like it or not.
3. Often roads are unsuitable for pulling over/in.
4. Most farmers make an effort at being curteous on the road to other users

Against the tractor boys:
1. A lot of tractors are unroadworthy (very poor lighting etc.)
2. Often farm debris is left on the road making road conditions dangerous.
3. Often farmers are ignorant of the needs of drivers to get about their business in a reasonable timeframe i.e. pulling over for a faster moving group of cars.

It can be potentially dangerous when people get frustrated behind a tractor with a large group of cars behind and he's refusing to pull over. The driver who makes the dangeous move is not the only one culpable in situations like this imo.

I think you have it relatively well covered right there.

Barring of course the numerous occasions of tractors operated by little more than 'kids', driving on public roads whilst running on green diesel, slow moving on already dangerous roads that are categorised R or N by the NRA...

Not tarring all with the one brush by any means, but one bad event/experience normally far outweighs many good; human nature.

mcwhirter

neil_hosey wrote: »

As far as Im concerned, if a tractor is on a road its because there land is on either side of it. Its their livelihood and IMO their road. They've been sing it alot longer than i have.

People hung up on speed trying to overtake tractors when a tiny gap appear are the dangerous ones, they cause the accidents.

Get orrff moy laaand:pac:

elius

Ill defend the tractor drivers seeing as i am 1. I always keep to the hard shoulder when i can always.. On back roads i will pull in where i can and often slow down on straights to allow people to pass.. When leaving land i always procede slow thus to keep mud on the road to a minumin and nine times drive with one wheel on the grass verge to keep mud to the middle of the road.. People dont seem to realise how important tractors are to the farmer.. I agree the licensing should be tight and test carried out. But they are essantial to everyday farmers. Builders only use them to keep cost down like.. Green diesal tax etc

paddysdream

mullingar wrote: »

What is the situation with tractor insurance on the public road?

Is it required? Is it checked?

just to dispell a few myths
(a) insurance is required for all tractors combines spfh etc used on the public roads and it aint that cheap . in all honesty i am unaware of any farmer not having it and to prove a point cannot rem. anyone being charged with this for a long long time. why pay from 5k (sh tractor) up to 250 300k(new combine) and not spend 1 to 2 k to insure it
(b) all are required to be taxed as well .ok not expensive
(C) have been stopped and checked twice in the last year
(d)contrary to most peoples views on here there are very strict legal guidelines as to agri. trailer weights dimensions widths etc ask either your local rtc or any farmer who drew beet to carlow sugar factory in the last twenty years. seen our local "well known" duo of rtc bringing many tractors and trailers ten miles out of the way just to weigh them
attended many heated meetings of farmers and rtc where we were told by the boys in blue " well we make the law and what we say goes and if you think different then it will cost you a day in court
(E)the vast vast majority of silage and grain trailers on the road today esp. those with air brakes can stop a hellavu lot faster than most car drivers think as i have found out time and time again
(f) on a personal note saw a local fined 4k for an overloaded grain trailer two years ago . including sols. fees his day out cost him 38 ton of grain for four ton over on twenty
(g) any one with questions (sensible ones!!!) re. agri vehicles can ask me and will endevour to reply . have over 20 years exp. on every thing from mf 35x to fendt 820 to spfh .