RSA: Revised Regulations for Agricultural Vehicles

Rovi

New regulations from 1st January 2016 for agricultural vehicles, covering Braking, Lighting & Visibility, Weights & Dimensions, and Plating & Discs:
http://rsa.ie/en/RSA/Your-Vehicle/Vehicle-Standards/Agricultural-Vehicles/

Excerpt from introduction:

Revised Regulations for Agricultural Vehicles
The Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport has recently signed legislation introducing revised standards for agricultural vehicles.

Why are the regulations changing?

These standards take effect from 1st January 2016 and are being introduced following a comprehensive review, including a public consultation, undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) over a prolonged period in 2008-2009 which examined the current legislation, policy and practice relating to the use of agricultural vehicles on public roads.

The current regulations are in place for more than half a century during which time agricultural vehicles have become bigger, faster and more powerful, and their use has been expanded to include a wide variety of tasks outside the scope of the current regulations.

Agricultural vehicles are now widely used on our roads; they are generally constructed to very high standards and it is important that the regulatory regime reflects the developments in agricultural vehicle technology and requires them to comply with recognised vehicle standards in relation to a number of key safety areas, i.e. braking, suspension systems, tyres and lighting as well as the weights for which they are designed.

Interesting Note at the end:

Note that neither changes to the Driver Licensing & Testing arrangements for prospective Category W (agricultural tractor and works vehicle) licence holders, nor the introduction of compulsory roadworthiness testing for agricultural vehicles are being introduced at this time. However these are areas that the RSA will likely consider in the future with a view to implementing further improvements aimed at increasing road safety for all road users encountering agricultural vehicles using public roads.

Links:
Braking
Lighting & Visibility
Weights & Dimensions
Plating & Discs


Regularising the farm machinery fleet that uses the public roads has been coming for a long time, and not before time in some cases.
It'll be interesting to see how this is implemented and observed in the real world.

GRASSorMUCK

Over in uk weight limit i currently 24,390kg's for total weight at 30k. Now, most tractors are 150hp+ atleast all 50k boxes with 16ton trailers weighing in at 32/33 tons when decent load of wheat on... About upping limits which will mean full commercial rated running gear, yearly Mot's or getting a dealer/mechanic in to 'certify' aka give running gear a once over. Not always a bad thing!
Would have thought it's all part of Eu directives for 'harmonisation' of equipment?

ganmo

from the braking section
Furthermore all agricultural trailers which are manufactured from 1st January 2016 and are capable by design of being drawn at a speed exceeding 40km/h must be equipped with:
pneumatic braking systems (including load sensing functionality which matches the service brake effort to the weight of the load being carried); and those capable of being drawn at a speed exceeding 60km/h must also be equipped with antilock braking systems (ABS)
a breakaway brake capable of automatically stopping them should they become detached from the tractor while in motion.

From the lighting section

Agricultural tractors and self-propelled agricultural machines must also be fitted with a flashing amber beacon, with an exemption from this requirement being provided for vintage agricultural tractors taking part in vintage rallies.

from the Speed section

Speed Discs

From 1st January 2016, all new agricultural tractors, self-propelled agricultural machines, agricultural trailers, and interchangeable towed equipment must be fitted with a speed disc indicating their maximum design speed.

Muckit

You would see those 'maximum speed discs' on a lot of European tractors and trailers. I'm sure sheebadog could tell us more.

Anything that improves safety can only be a good thing.

I think we will see a lot of changes in trailer hitch design. I could never get over such big and heavy machines like silage trailers and +2400gal slurry tankers being carried on pick up hitch tow hook and small trailer eye.

Farrell

Will this lead to a tractor scrappage scheme, & yearly testing

GRASSorMUCK

Farrell wrote: »

Will this lead to a tractor scrappage scheme, & yearly testing

Def yearly testing/checks on machinery/tractors for saftey guards and pto covers etc.

onyerbikepat

Anything that makes farm machinery safer has to be welcomed, I suppose.

A yearly NCT for tractors. They'll see me coming anyway, with the cloud of back smoke.:p

emaherx

Finaly brings an end to the "are amber beacons legal" argument.

Not only are they legal, but now are a requirement.

I said

emaherx wrote: »

Finaly brings an end to the "are amber beacons legal" argument.

Not only are they legal, but now are a requirement.

Is that for 40kph tractors or all

Farmer

As a motorist I' d BAN amber beacons based on times I've been blinded by them at night - mainly on tow trucks - when stuck behind them in traffic

_Brian

emaherx wrote: »

Finaly brings an end to the "are amber beacons legal" argument.

Not only are they legal, but now are a requirement.

Can I tow more with two beacons ??:P

Upstream

_Brian wrote: »

Can I tow more with two beacons ??:P

Only with the appropriate documentation, a Fear The Deere or a Full Of The Pipe sticker

whelan2

with the lorry trailers they had a period where you could get the trailers tested for free

jay gatsby

_Brian wrote: »

Can I tow more with two beacons ??:P

All joking aside, if every tractor on the road has beacons going it is going to make other motorists less cautious on back roads. At least now when they see them it might trigger an alarm bell, if they get used to meeting a 35 with a haybob with the beacon going they won't fear it.

A friend of mine drives some big rigs on back roads and maintains the only way to get some cars to slow for a big implement at night is to blind them with the high beams until they slow up a bit.

micraX

jay gatsby wrote: »

All joking aside, if every tractor on the road has beacons going it is going to make other motorists less cautious on back roads. At least now when they see them it might trigger an alarm bell, if they get used to meeting a 35 with a haybob with the beacon going they won't fear it.

A friend of mine drives some big rigs on back roads and maintains the only way to get some cars to slow for a big implement at night is to blind them with the high beams until they slow up a bit.

35s wont have to have becons, only tractors made after 1988 they are required on.

sheebadog

Twin beacons are law here.
The French dream up all these rules and regulations and get them enforced around Europe.
Pain in the ass.
Tractor on national road this morning got fined €90 for not having becons turned on. Broad daylight with no implement FFS!!
Money making racket.
Had €10k worth of tools stolen a few weeks back and the cops wouldn't even call out, but they will jump out from behind a bush to nail you for the huge crime of not turning on your beacons.
Rant over.

emaherx

micraX wrote: »

35s wont have to have becons, only tractors made after 1988 they are required on.

Yes they will if they are used after dark. Exemptions for older machines only applies for day light use. Also need to have indicators and number plate lights for night time use.

and it is machines registered prior to 1980 not 1988

emaherx

I said wrote: »

Is that for 40kph tractors or all

All tractors registered from 1980 on during daylight hours and all tractors in the dark!