Big tractors usually with even wider trailors being driven like everyone should get out of the way for them!

[Binky]

The way to slow down tractors and other vehicles which speed and also endanger vunerable road users be they cyclists, pedestrians, horses etc is to enforce current laws. This of course requires either a camera van or police etc in attendance which seems unlikely on a lot of the narrow back roads where some of us have had dangerous incidents involving said vehicles. Failing that for likes of Operation Snap to action any footage received which clearly shows a dangerous pass etc. This unfortunately is happening less in some areas as Operation Snap operators say they can't judge the distances which is frankly laughable in most cases.

 

[geocycle]

There are always idiots on wheels whether attached to cars, motorcycles, bikes or two legs. The problems with tractors is the rapid growth in their size and speed, filling lanes and not allowing any space against hedges and walls. Around here the contractors are probably the worst rather than the local farmers.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The french have a couple of things in villages that work really well.

They have no street lights and they put metal bollards either side barely much wider than cars. Driver gets it wrong, lots of scraped paint work.

The second is a traffic light towards end of village that is triggered to only go red if anyone speeding is detected far end of village. thus negating any perceived benefit of speeding.

 

[gbb]

I used to work with a guy who did extemsive contract work in farms, he used a variety of equipment, large tractors included particually at harvest time.
While making no excuses and he never said the pressure drove you to do things you shouldn't.. he did say how you were under constant pressure to complete. I cant remember the hours he spoke of, but its significant, very significant and constant for several weeks. Farmers are forever trying to cut cost to meet supermarkets demands who are doing that to, at best keep cost down for the customer...at worst, always trying to increase profit and its the poor sap at the bottom (contractors to farmers) who gets the worst of it.
As I said above, personally I do my best to let them crack on, always did even before my former colleague related that to me.

 

[Dorset Boy]

The way to slow down tractors and other vehicles which speed and also endanger vunerable road users be they cyclists, pedestrians, horses etc is to enforce current laws. This of course requires either a camera van or police etc in attendance which seems unlikely on a lot of the narrow back roads where some of us have had dangerous incidents involving said vehicles. Failing that for likes of Operation Snap to action any footage received which clearly shows a dangerous pass etc. This unfortunately is happening less in some areas as Operation Snap operators say they can't judge the distances which is frankly laughable in most cases.

The speed limit on country lanes is 60 mph. I don't think even the tractors are hitting those speeds and so are not breaking the law.
However, often, 30 mph is almost too fast to safely travel on some lanes and they are doing that sort of speed or more.

 

[Binky]

I used to work with a guy who did extemsive contract work in farms, he used a variety of equipment, large tractors included particually at harvest time.
While making no excuses and he never said the pressure drove you to do things you shouldn't.. he did say how you were under constant pressure to complete. I cant remember the hours he spoke of, but its significant, very significant and constant for several weeks. Farmers are forever trying to cut cost to meet supermarkets demands who are doing that to, at best keep cost down for the customer...at worst, always trying to increase profit and its the poor sap at the bottom (contractors to farmers) who gets the worst of it.
As I said above, personally I do my best to let them crack on, always did even before my former colleague related that to me.

There's literally zero excuse for endangering another road user. None.

 

[gbb]

That's a pile of poor excuses for bad driving. There's literally zero excuse for endangering another road user. None.

I did say it made no excuses...and afaik, no evidence my former colleague drove in a silly way (no evidence he didnt either).
My comment is simply a comment on the pressures they face...not an excuse.
In a similar way delivery driver do and always did drive like loons in a desperate attempt to maximise earnings at 'best', or desperately trying meet ridiculous imposed schedules on them
Either way...its just an indicator that its profit that drives this behaviour...and its not the fella thats doing it that profits.
It's the system...and i dearly wish it didnt work like that...but can recognise it.

 

[Binky]

I did say it made no excuses...and afaik, no evidence my former colleague drove in a silly way (no evidence he didnt either).
My comment is simply a comment on the pressures they face...not an excuse.
In a similar way delivery driver do and always did drive like loons in a desperate attempt to maximise earnings at 'best', or desperately trying meet ridiculous imposed schedules on them
Either way...its just an indicator that its profit that drives this behaviour...and its not the fella thats doing it that profits.
It's the system...and i dearly wish it didnt work like that...but can recognise it.

The pressure on a farmer be far more if he loses one of his drivers due to being arrested for dangerous driving or killing someone. Seeing as it's not the contractors business(it's the farmers) then said contractors shouldn't be the ones under pressure as such. If the workload is such that a driver perceives he has to drive badly/too fast/dangerously/whatever then they should address that with their boss be it farmer, delivery company etc. I'm not convinced the police or court etc will take into account "pressure to deliver" as an excuse if a driver injures or kills someone.

I understand what you are saying but I have zero sympathy for any driver who drives badly, there is no excuse. Period.

 

[MontyVeda]

They are driven like race cars and quite often by young farmhands. We have two farms behind our house and the drivers are kids in comparison. You (they) can drive a tractor under certain limits from 16yrs of age.

16 for public roads. My youngest niece got her first tractor aged 13.

 

[MontyVeda]

More than 50 years ago, used to be friendly with some farmer's boys. He learned to drive at a very young age, driving a mini van round the farm.

He passed his driving test on his 17th birthday!

went to college with a lad who did the same!

 

[gbb]

I recall watching a police investigation into a fella killed by a runaway trailer that disconnected from a tractor (Leicestershire perhaps ?)
As it progressed you came to realise there is very little oversight on business and individuals running sometimes complex, potentially very deadly , heavy equipment.
As.a maintenance engineer one thing that was drummed I to us was monitoring, preferably measuring..and actually doing sometging rather than getting sucked into 'it was alright last week..and the week before...ad infinitum'
I've personally nearly been killed by hitting a tractor that had no lights (I was young, naive, possibly contributed to it myself and the owner.promptly fixed them at the crash site...i told the police when they arrived but I was a young driver and they didnt seem interested, it was.word against word)
There really really ought to be more oversight on vehicle condition etc...at least give people half a chance when you see these things numbering up the road.
Thats partly what drives my 'just get out their way' mentality, self preservation if you will.

 

[katiewlx]

its an interesting point that we seem to have increased the kind of main 3 risk factors that can cause crashes, the vehicles size is alot larger, im encountering tractors now that the width takes up the whole of a single width lane such that the wheels are wrecking both verges, and thats on roads where with a bit of cooperation you can safely pass even an SUV on a bike without leaving the road

the speed they drive at seems to increased alot, even with a laden trailer they seem to comfortably hit 30mph, without a trailer Im sure theyre upto 40mph now.

and the drivers are either incredibly young, or inexperienced or a mixture of both.

certainly this summer Ive had a couple of encounters where Ive been riding along and found a tractor bearing down on me and you sort of panic as where can you go, obviously I found a space or I wouldnt be talking about it, but there would be stretches on the same roads where Id not have stood a chance.

Ive no idea what a car driver would do in the same circumstance, its just pure luck I guess if you happen to meet them at a really awkward spot you cant reverse out of.

Ive lived around farming communities all my life so Im not blind to the fact the time pressure they can be under, it would just be nice to feel they were taking other road users safety into consideration.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I saw it a lot, one particular farmer was notorious for his tractors in a horrendous state of repair. Battery held on with bailer twine, brakes that needed servicing 10 years ago etc. also worked on a site where a dumper truck was used that had no brakes unless you literally put all your body weight on the pedal. They think because it only does 25mph then they'll never need to stop quickly. I'm not for giving farmers any more stock than they currently have, but at the very least a road going vehicle should be able to pass an MOT. of course, I was often told to drive vehicles on the road that were not registered to do so

 

[Drago]

I was often told to drive vehicles on the road that were not registered to do so

Folk dont realise its an offence to ask/compel someone to do such a thing.