Road accidents, young tractor drivers and driver licencing

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120672909#Comment_120672909

The actual driving test has estimated waiting times stretching into Feb 2024 when I checked Mulhuddart and Nov 2023 for Finglas...

https://rsa.powerappsportals.com/drivertest-estimation-personal/?lastEstimationId=fcb33b9f-3301-ee11-8f6e-6045bd89a79d

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120674793#Comment_120674793

So let’s start with regular theory retesting.

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120673200#Comment_120673200

And maybe we should have a s plate for s##t drivers.there s alot out there that may have passed all the tests but just can't drive.

weatherbyfoxer

Just a question on a situation i came across during the week and would like to hear others thought on it.I was rowing grass for a long time customer last week when the other Contractor who does his baling arrived in with his his case puma 170 and fusion baler with his 12 year old son in the passenger seat.After an hour when I was finishing rowing the other contractor came over for a chat and let the young lad bale away for 15 minutes while he left the tractor to come over to me...Only after I realised what really happened and how it could have caused a major accident..would you ring the customer and tell him what's going on in his field next time if it happens again?

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120675980#Comment_120675980

I don’t see how it could have caused a major accident? He wasn’t on the road, both of ye were there in the field. I’m sure if he had to stop baling for some reason, maybe a blockage, breakdown etc. his father would have left you and went over to him. Once the 12 year old was in the tractor and understands the workings of the baler I don’t see how he was causing any greater danger than anyone else baling.

Obviously it depends on the child too but I know 10 year olds that grew up with machinery that’d be better drivers than most adult farmers judging by the attempts some of them make to stack bales or reverse a trailer in a mart yard.

awaywithyou

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120676035#Comment_120676035

neighbour lets his son do alot of baling... hes 11/12... he is warned to within an inch of his life not to leave tractor if a problem occurs with baler...

K.G.

My 2 lads now licensed but they started away from about 13 on but the key is supervision and training.to be fair to them they have turned out to be steady operators on tractors but there's a bit of luck involved too.if the field is level and there is nothing in close proximity its relatively safe-11 or 12 is a bit young but I ve no doubt he knows exactly how it works. Going back to our lads they really seem to have got the message that rooting and tearing means repairs and gear destroyed which helps to temper the speed-in fact they claim I m the most heavy footed and give out to me instead

kirk.

Had a young lad blowing the horn all the way through town

I usually stick to about 30k in the town itself

Phone use is a big issue , more so than cars imv

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120678780#Comment_120678780

Couldn’t agree more, it’s about training and supervision. If a lad has a head for machinery then age is irrelevant to a certain extent.

Reggie.

Part of training to is to supervise from a distance. Let them get comfortable on the seat on thoer own while your close enough to stop a dangerous situation but far enough away that you aren't leaning over thier shoulder.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120678819#Comment_120678819

hardly a model for a licencing system though? a parent's opinion of a kid is grand and all, but the fatalities recently obviously involved kids whose parents thought they were capable.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686156#Comment_120686156

I never said anything about modelling a licensing system so I don’t know where you’re getting that from, I just stated a simple fact that some lads understand machinery and some don’t, regardless of age.

magicbastarder

the main thrust of the thread (and explicitly asked in the OP) is about changing the licencing system for tractors. hence the observation.

Packrat

I see the "I hate all farmers because big tractors, derp derp, eu grants, something something something climate change, basically I'm unhappy with my own life and jealous of people who own anything" person/people have arrived...

The thread will now go well from here on I'd imagine.

looksee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120691582#Comment_120691582

Sorry for your trouble Packrat, have you tried meditation?

Packrat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120691674#Comment_120691674

Thank you very much but your concern is misplaced.

No trouble at all here, I'm quite happy in general.

Are you another one? - if not, why did you feel the need to reply?

CreadanLady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120691582#Comment_120691582

It is nothing to do with that.

It is about young tractor and machinery operators who are foolhardy (not always but more often than not) who are inexperienced and lack the maturity and experience to operate powerful heavy machinery.

Packrat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120693576#Comment_120693576

For most yes. I also agree that change is needed and have posted to that effect in this thread. If that change isn't soon, a serious multiple fatality will result.

However there is at least one poster just here for the above, - ie - to have a go at farmers. He/She shoehorns their dislike/jealousy of farmers into every second thread they post on.

chooseusername

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23568505.tractor-driver-sentenced-crash-near-raf-mildenhall/

Amazing no one killed here.

John_Rambo

My wife & daughter (in a buggy) were almost wiped out by a teen tractor driver on his phone two years ago in Mayo on a footpath very close to a town. They ended up in a ditch full of nettles with the buggy upended & the panicked corrective action of the driver almost tipped his load on top of them. She could see him coming & was roaring at him but he couldn't hear her. We're really really cautious now when we holiday at home now.