Tractor on a motorway - only in Ireland?

unkel

That's right. A tractor. On the M9 ( the little bit of motorway going from the M7 past Naas towards the N9 at Kilcullen)

I've driven cars for 22 years in dozens of countries, but that was a first for me. Mind the tractor was doing about 50km/h, not that much slower than the average vehicle on an Irish motorway

patrickc

unkel wrote: »

That's right. A tractor. On the M9 ( the little bit of motorway going from the M7 past Naas towards the N9 at Kilcullen)

I've driven cars for 22 years in dozens of countries, but that was a first for me. Mind the tractor was doing about 50km/h, not that much slower than the average vehicle on an Irish motorway

ive seen them on that stretch regularly and on up the m7 unkel

mikemac

Was it a contractor doing maintenace on the motorway? Landscaping maybe?

Because if it was then how else are they supposed to get the tractor to where it needs to be

Saruman

exactly.. never noticed you need tractors to cut the grass, such as on the M50?

Then again, if it was JUST a tractor and did not have the grass cutter on the back then he was just chancing his arm.

maidhc

unkel wrote: »

That's right. A tractor. On the M9 ( the little bit of motorway going from the M7 past Naas towards the N9 at Kilcullen)

I've driven cars for 22 years in dozens of countries, but that was a first for me. Mind the tractor was doing about 50km/h, not that much slower than the average vehicle on an Irish motorway

Is it not completely legal? It ticks all the boxes for being allowed on a motorway. e.g. over 50cc and capable of 50k under its own propulsion.

Saruman

Yes but its a slow moving vehicle which is a no no.

maidhc

Saruman wrote: »

Yes but its a slow moving vehicle which is a no no.

It does 50km/h so it isn't a slow moving vehicle in the eyes of the law.

unkel

Looked like an agricultural tractor. It was pulling a huge trailer too

maidhc wrote: »

Is it not completely legal?

It believe it is legal. 50km/h on a motorway is madness though imho. Try that in any other country and the police will take you off the road pronto

maidhc

unkel wrote: »

It believe it is legal. 50km/h on a motorway is madness though imho. Try that in any other country and the police will take you off the road pronto

I don't see the problem. I would suggest an SMV sign should be mandatory though.

blackbox

Did he have his hazard lights on?

- everything is allowed in Ireland as long as you put on your hazard lights.:D

cantdecide

Saruman wrote: »

you need tractors to cut the grass

Ever hear of a low loader?? Cork dual carriageways in the morning rush-hour are littered with loadalls and JCBs. It's a holy show....

niceirishfella

If it was a JCB fastrac those things will do 50kph. My Brother has one (he's a farmer)and its a nice piece of engineering, air brakes, full suspension, blue tooth phone car kit the lot!

but as far as i know, tractors on Motorways are not allowed, except if they are doing maintenance as mnetioned before.

maidhc

cantdecide wrote: »

Ever hear of a low loader?? Cork dual carriageways in the morning rush-hour are littered with loadalls and JCBs. It's a holy show....

It is also littered by muppets in cars, so I don't see the difference a few JCBs will make.

Tractors ARE allowed on motorways once they have a design speed of 50km/h. End of Story.

A fastrac can far exceed 50k, but in Ireland they are restricted to 50k so they can use green diesel. Many new tractors can do 50k, it isn't that unusual. Expect to see many more on the motorways into the future.

cantdecide

maidhc wrote: »

I don't see the difference a few JCBs will make....Tractors ARE allowed on motorways

JCB driver, maidhc??

Are you suggesting the car drivers should clear out of the JCB, tractor and loadalls way???

Whether they are or not is not the discussion here. Slow moving vehicles (i don't mean the state's definition- i mean reality;)), or mobile brick walls as i call them, tootling along at snails pace in the middle of the rush hour, causing certain death to car drivers that would hit them (where the JCB driver would be 100% ok) is one of the most idiotic sights on our roads. They are waiting for many people to be killed before this changes.

JCBs and farm machinery belong on low-loaders, not on dual carriageways.

yellow012

Yeah this subject was discussed a few weeks back.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055183680
And we had the same gobdaws who couldn't see a problem with it.

maidhc

cantdecide wrote: »

JCB driver, maidhc??

Are you suggesting the car drivers should clear out of the JCB, tractor and loadalls way???

Suggesting they shouldn't hit them if they are paying proper attention. Same way you are not supposed to hit the car in front when they brake suddenly.

Indeed I do own a JCB and a few tractors, but am a solicitor by profession.I do also commute the N25 road ever day, and really can't see the problem. Most accidents (of which they are many) are normally caused by cars, more often than not people who can't handle the cobh cross slip road!

If a driver has anyway half decent skills of observation and the common sense to realise the tractor is likely to be doing 30mph there should be no problem.

cantdecide

maidhc wrote: »

Suggesting they shouldn't hit them if they are paying proper attention. Same way you are not supposed to hit the car in front when they brake suddenly.

Indeed I do own a JCB and a few tractors, but am a solicitor by profession.I do also commute the N25 road ever day, and really can't see the problem. Most accidents (of which they are many) are normally caused by cars, more often than not people who can't handle the cobh cross slip road!

If a driver has anyway half decent skills of observation and the common sense to realise the tractor is likely to be doing 30mph there should be no problem.

Not getting into a debate about common sense- My mate has to drag machinery with tractors and his heart is broken over it. He thinks it's 100% wrong. I travelled Midleton to ballincollig every day for 3 years and I saw so many near accidents caused gluts of people trying to overtake an instant bottleneck. Yes, it is legal, but also yes the DC becomes a b-road.

PS, you would have this opinion, wouldn't you. Buy a low-loader Maidhc.

End of.

Vikings

If you think that is bad... How about some donkey in a Landcruiser facing the wrong way in the overtaking lane on the N4!

Just past the speed camera there is a small slip that leads to the N4 from Lucan (just past the maxol in Lucan) and this guy turned right from that slip road instead of merging with traffic heading in the right direction.

How he managed it I don't know but he obviously ignored the big no right turn signs about there, if it wasnt for the fact it was dark out and he had his lights on there would have been some pile up there.

It really is a strange feeling driving towards another car's headlights in the same lane

maidhc

cantdecide wrote: »

Buy a low-loader Maidhc.

Sure... I'll drop €100k on an Articulated truck and trailer just so some people need not bother observe what is in front of them....

The income from the farm would need to go up a little i'm afraid!

A small bit of reality please!

Timmaay

Was the tractor travelling on the slow lane or hard shoulder? The few times I'm on a tractor on a good road (but never the motorway:rolleyes:), I always drive on hardshoulder if possible. I know i'm not meant to, but I'd rather risk getting pulled over than have lunatics passing me out in insanely dangerous places (and lets face it, who waits behind a tractor on a solid white line/non overtaking place anyway:mad:)

cantdecide

maidhc wrote: »

Sure... I'll drop €100k on an Articulated truck and trailer just so some people need not bother observe what is in front of them....

The income from the farm would need to go up a little i'm afraid!

A small bit of reality please!

'For every half a dozen eggs you need a carton' If you need all that machinery, you need a means of tranporting it safely. If you're business isn't viable when resourced correctly- you need a new business.

In other words- it's your problem not the oher road users'.

cashmni1

Vikings wrote: »

If you think that is bad... How about some donkey in a Landcruiser facing the wrong way in the overtaking lane on the N4!

Just past the speed camera there is a small slip that leads to the N4 from Lucan (just past the maxol in Lucan) and this guy turned right from that slip road instead of merging with traffic heading in the right direction.

How he managed it I don't know but he obviously ignored the big no right turn signs about there, if it wasnt for the fact it was dark out and he had his lights on there would have been some pile up there.

It really is a strange feeling driving towards another car's headlights in the same lane

Smells like a traveler to me.....

Slutmonkey57b

Tractors?

I saw a funeral procession going northbound on the m50 recently.

groupb

maidhc wrote: »

Sure... I'll drop €100k on an Articulated truck and trailer just so some people need not bother observe what is in front of them....

The income from the farm would need to go up a little i'm afraid!

A small bit of reality please!

Maidhc , If I need a few quid more , does that mean that I am justified robbing the local AIB? Maybe you could get me off? Just because you need to move your machinery around , it does'nt mean your well within your rights to break the law. Do what every other industry does when they have to transport things. Buy a truck!

emaherx

cantdecide wrote: »

'For every half a dozen eggs you need a carton' If you need all that machinery, you need a means of tranporting it safely. If you're business isn't viable when resourced correctly- you need a new business.

In other words- it's your problem not the oher road users'.

Emm??? If I have a road legal tractor capable of driving at the required minimum speed limit for a motorway with Tax and Insurance why the hell would I buy a lorry which 1. I don't need for any thing else and 2. don't have a licence for 3. would still not be aloud drive at the same maximum speed that cars are anyway 4. would require additional Tax and insurance 5. dosen't affect anybody any more than the person driving a car up the motorway at 50 Km/h.

maidhc

groupb wrote: »

Maidhc , If I need a few quid more , does that mean that I am justified robbing the local AIB? Maybe you could get me off? Just because you need to move your machinery around , it does'nt mean your well within your rights to break the law. Do what every other industry does when they have to transport things. Buy a truck!

... I'm not breaking the law... and believe me I know exactly what it is!

Any vehicle I bring on the road is taxed, insured and roadworthy! The only difficulty with my vehicle is it can only do 40k, hence cannot be driven on a motorway, and as a result never is.

It is perfectly legal to drive on a dual carriage way though, and I do when necessary, which is about once or twice a year. Get over it!

emaherx

groupb wrote: »

Maidhc , If I need a few quid more , does that mean that I am justified robbing the local AIB? Maybe you could get me off? Just because you need to move your machinery around , it does'nt mean your well within your rights to break the law. Do what every other industry does when they have to transport things. Buy a truck!

He's not breaking the Law if the tractor is capable of exceeding the minimum required speed limit.

Andrewf20

Slightly off topic, but with the hardshoulder coned off from the M1 down past the Finglas exit on the M50 for impending roadworks, there was a car (Escort) stopped, stranded in the slow lane with hazards on. Nearly caused a pile up.

cantdecide

emaherx wrote: »

Emm??? If I have a road legal tractor capable of driving at the required minimum speed limit for a motorway with Tax and Insurance why the hell would I buy a lorry which 1. I don't need for any thing else and 2. don't have a licence for 3. would still not be aloud drive at the same maximum speed that cars are anyway 4. would require additional Tax and insurance 5. dosen't affect anybody any more than the person driving a car up the motorway at 50 Km/h.

cantdecide wrote: »

Slow moving vehicles i don't mean the state's definition- i mean in reality

'Technically, I'm allowed and I won't pay for the proper method' don't fly IMO

maidhc

cantdecide wrote: »

'Technically, I'm allowed and I won't pay for the proper method' don't fly IMO

It isn't technical. It is quite clear. Unless you want to enforce mandatory minimum speed limits on motorways you are barking up the wrong tree.*


*These may be a good idea and I think I would support them, but for now there is no issue as to the law and legality of the matter.

Bogger77

Luckily, your or my opinion isn't law.

The Irish law, as stated on the sign at entrace to Motorways, states vehicle must be capable of 50Km per hour, it doesn't state, nor do the reg's that a works vehicle (tractor, crane, etc) is barred. It merely states >50km per hour top speed.

UK reg's bar Agri vehicles from Motorways.