why do motorests have no respect for tractors on roads

De Hipster

De Hipster wrote: »

Barring of course the numerous occasions of tractors operated by little more than 'kids', driving on public roads whilst running on green diesel,

And any of the above is illegal how exactly?? Once you are 16 you and have a licence you can drive a tractor the same as any age and I have never heard of a young person causing a crash in a tractor. Green diesel exists for agri use so why would it not be used?

basherzz

Farmers shouldn't be allowed on the roads full stop. Any time I go to Dublin, the slowest part of my journey home in the evening is stuck behind effin tractors between Ballinasloe & Loughrea. Then you end up in a two mile slow tailback. There should be gaps between fields and let ye travel that way. Roads are for cars/vans/trucks etc. If ye want to go on the roads, bring out yere cars.

masse5455

hey u frig of farmers have ta go bout going to land and doing jobs with tractors on the road ye townies cant have every tin yer own way

Gran Hermano

If only the EU subsidised full keyboards for farmers...

pd101

Magnus wrote: »

Sure, I'd prefer it if tractors were only allowed out during night time but that's not how it works unfortunately.

Why do you think farmers should be forced to work at night? Why not let the drivers stuck behind the tractors work at night?

Solitaire

Ironically, Meath, Land of **** Drivers probably has some of the best tractor drivers. There's lots of them, but almost all of them go out of their way to give faster vehicles a chance.

Aside from the occasional flying a-hole, tractors aren't even the problem. I (and many others judging from the tailbacks!) had far worse problems with light grain transports (i.e. big SUV with a big trailer doing 30kph), JCBs and everyone's favourite nightmare, the dreaded combo. Those things take up the hard shoulder and half the opposite side of the road! :eek:

But what really gets me is that the few rotten apples really make their presence felt, by always sticking to the largest, busiest road they can find regardless of alternatives. Those lads are taking the **** and on many occasions it appeared that was exactly their intent. The number of tractors that could have gone down any local road, but instead chose to block the entire N3 (oops... R147) for SnG is just mindboggling.

Lady Muck

mcwhirter wrote: »

Get orrff moy laaand:pac:

De Hipster

Jase Quaint Nurse wrote: »

And any of the above is illegal how exactly?? Once you are 16 you and have a licence you can drive a tractor the same as any age and I have never heard of a young person causing a crash in a tractor. Green diesel exists for agri use so why would it not be used?

Never even implied that anything illegal was occurring, I am implying that it is
A) often dangerous
ethically questionable or interpreting the law 'sideways' (road vehicles = non agri diesel use)

Capt'n Midnight

Danno wrote: »

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

:rolleyes:

so you want 4 lanes on R roads ??

not even worth considering seeing as how most drivers don't pull in anyway

would be easier to put in lay-by's every few km Or converting the hard shoulders into real lanes , even a 2+1 should be cheaper than 4 lanes.

fits

I live in a really rural area and really dont have a problem with this at all! I generally find farmers very considerate and I'm quite a relaxed driver. They've as much right to be on the road as anyone else.

however....

To the impatient person who pulled out behind me using your superior accelaration when I was towing a horsebox and over taking a combine last Sunday, forcing me to slam on the brakes and making my horse fall over. FCUK YOU!

(and before anyone says it, I did check my mirrors and indicate, but jeep+horsebox does not and should not accelarate that quickly.. or brake for that matter).

bk1991

[quote=De (road vehicles = non agri diesel use)[/quote]

em tractors wheather on road or in feild it is legal to use green deisel ..or do u want us to change deisel when we go on road ...

De Hipster

De Hipster wrote: »

ethically questionable or interpreting the law 'sideways' (road vehicles = non agri diesel use)

Ethically questionable my arse. Green diesel is to make running a tractor a bit cheaper either on the road or on the land.

Is it ethically questionable for fishermen to use green diesel or marine diesel in their boats, or for every company in the country to claim back the vat on commercial vehicles?

Honestly I wonder at times what is going on in peoples heads.

Drummerboy08

Ah lads, its gettin out of hand here.

Its simple, really.

If your a tractor driver, and if you happen to check your mirrors and notice a long tailback of cars behind you, do the right thing, and pull over. You may prevent an accident caused by an impatient driver.

If your a driver, who gets stuck behind a tractor - just give him a chance. He may only be going two minutes up the road, so there is no real need to overtake dangerously.

BTW, that first bit should apply to jeeps/horseboxes/Nissan Micras, or anything else that is going much slower than the general flow of traffic. Just be polite, and pull over. Just because your not able/not comfortable driving at the speed limit, doesnt mean every motorist behind you should suffer.

bk1991

betafrog wrote: »

Cause their drivers can't spell?

spelling has nothing to do with it some agri drivers could run rings around some of ye

RedorDead

bk1991 wrote: »

spelling has nothing to do with it some agri drivers could run rings around some of ye

Not in spelling contests you won't.

I think part of the problem is the roads and the authorities attitude to the problem. Just drove around Scotland last week and as they have a similar problem with caravans, there are pull in and let traffic by points all over the place. They also have police signs warning slow drivers (tractors, caravans, the old etc etc) to pull in and let other motorists by.

Yet more poor planning by Government here.

emaherx

x in the city wrote: »

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

Could be said about drivers of any class of vehicle

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...

Most will, like any class of vehicle there are good and bad

Danno wrote: »

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

As if the country isn't broke enough. but a few places designated for slow vehicles to pull in might be more realistic.

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

Most tractors are taxed, like car owners some wont pay. They don't drive tractors in roads in Europe or America .... Em thats just not true they just have roads better able for them. I agree vehicle Testing and dedicated driver testing is required, the lack of this is not the farmers fault. No consideration for other drivers again not all drivers, same could be said about the drivers of any class of vehicle. Most Tractors have working lights, people who drive any vehicle or trailer without lights are ignorant feckkers and should lose their licenses.

Dan_B wrote: »

+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!

I agree, but this is not all drivers or even most.

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

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.

yep I agree with this

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

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.

I always pull in where possible, its not always, it depends on the road. It can equally be said that car drivers ignore tractor indicators and over trake in the most ridicules places. Their are bad drivers in every kind of vehicle

Hagar wrote: »

I thought slow moving vehicles are not allowed on motorways?

they are not, And shouldn't be.

mullingar wrote: »

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

Is it required? Is it checked?

Its required and very few people wouldn't have it same as any other vehicle. yes of coarse its checked

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

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...;)

One delay by one ignorant fecker doesn't prove all farmers are like this.

Bazzy wrote: »

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

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.

That doesn't sound like a farmers tractor

mcwhirter wrote: »

Because they can't spell motorist:D

bubblewrap wrote: »

Or field! :pac:

Gran Hermano wrote: »

If only the EU subsidised full keyboards for farmers...

betafrog wrote: »

Cause their drivers can't spell?

way to contribute lads. You all put up a fine argument on the saftey of tractors on the road.

high horse wrote: »

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

My farm is not in one huge block, but is made up of land separated. I need to use the road. This is common in many areas of the country

basherzz wrote: »

Farmers shouldn't be allowed on the roads full stop. Any time I go to Dublin, the slowest part of my journey home in the evening is stuck behind effin tractors between Ballinasloe & Loughrea. Then you end up in a two mile slow tailback. There should be gaps between fields and let ye travel that way. Roads are for cars/vans/trucks etc. If ye want to go on the roads, bring out yere cars.

Not practical I would need to travel through other peoples land. Tractors need to use roads there is no other way. Sorry that your important schedule may be effected from time to time.

busman

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:

Came across this on Monday evening on the M8 going from Cork to Thurles ;-)
God I love Ireland!

galwaytt

RedorDead wrote: »

...... Just drove around Scotland last week and as they have a similar problem with caravans, there are pull in and let traffic by points all over the place. .......Yet more poor planning by Government here.

...indeed. But until such time as the Govt, Local Authority, etc., actually buy the land to provide such spaces, then where is this 'space' supposed to come from.....?

...do you not think this will happen ? No ?

Damn.........:rolleyes:

micko2009

I think alot of the older generation of farmers couldn't care less about road safety and general ignorance of not pulling over. What bugs me is rounding a corner at night to see a white light in the distance which you would think is a motorbike coming the otherway.. but no its a torch hanging from the back of a crapped out old Tractor :mad:

I understand Farmers need to use tractors during business hours but something dodgy about seeing them on roads past daylight.. Very dangerous, they are still hard to see at night due to mucked over lights etc.

gogs2006

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!

I'am of the same opinion as Pete.I have no problem with a farmer's use of a tractor eg Silage,spreading,harvesting,baling etc as a tractor is an essential tool on the land.

I have a major grievence though with tractors used for hire or reward
Iam involved in Road Haulage myself and i'am appalled at the practices used.

Everyday i see tractors travelling at 40k plus and transporting heavy machinery,construction equipment,builder's supplies and much more.
Almost everyone i see has inadequte load security often with a teenager(and his buddy) at the wheel

No tailgates on dump trailers,ratchet straps where chains should be used and loose digger buckets just sitting on the loadbed!!!

When you compare a tractor carrying a digger to a lorry the differences are amazing.
A tractor has a shorter wheelbase and a higher centre of gravity compared to a lorry lowloader.ie a far greater risk of overturning at speed

No Mot test for tractor or trailer,No driving test,Agri Diesel,Agri road tax the list goes on......

I know lorries will delay motorists on the roads and can cause chaos and frustration but we provide an essential service and stricter regulations and enforcement than any other road user

Long Onion

I live in a rural part of Mayo and my experience tells me that the vast majority of tractor drivers won't pull over to let motorists out. When I am not in a rush I am happy to sit behind them until safe, however the last time when I was trying to take my sick baby son to the hospital I got really p*ssed off.

The bad tractor drivers end up tarring the decent ones with the same brush. If you would all pull over where safe there would be no bothers. This, however is not an excuse for stupid motorists to drive in a manner which puts the safety of others at risk.

BlackWizard

The sooner we all vote Yes to Lisbon and let Turkey into the EU, the sooner we can finally get rid of all these moaning farmers

roosterman71

I'am of the same opinion as Pete.I have no problem with a farmer's use of a tractor eg Silage,spreading,harvesting,baling etc as a tractor is an essential tool on the land.

I have a major grievence though with tractors used for hire or reward
Iam involved in Road Haulage myself and i'am appalled at the practices used.

Everyday i see tractors travelling at 40k plus and transporting heavy machinery,construction equipment,builder's supplies and much more.
Almost everyone i see has inadequte load security often with a teenager(and his buddy) at the wheel

No tailgates on dump trailers,ratchet straps where chains should be used and loose digger buckets just sitting on the loadbed!!!

When you compare a tractor carrying a digger to a lorry the differences are amazing.
A tractor has a shorter wheelbase and a higher centre of gravity compared to a lorry lowloader.ie a far greater risk of overturning at speed

No Mot test for tractor or trailer,No driving test,Agri Diesel,Agri road tax the list goes on......

I know lorries will delay motorists on the roads and can cause chaos and frustration but we provide an essential service and stricter regulations and enforcement than any other road user

This doesn't sound like a farmer. More a description of builder or something like that trying to save €€€s by using a tractor and not a lorry. Possibly even a fellow haulier

I live in a rural part of Mayo and my experience tells me that the vast majority of tractor drivers won't pull over to let motorists out. When I am not in a rush I am happy to sit behind them until safe, however the last time when I was trying to take my sick baby son to the hospital I got really p*ssed off.

The bad tractor drivers end up tarring the decent ones with the same brush. If you would all pull over where safe there would be no bothers. This, however is not an excuse for stupid motorists to drive in a manner which puts the safety of others at risk.

Would you feel the same if it was an van/truck/micra that slowed you down? Or was it just cos its a tractor? (Hope your son is better by the way)

This thread is just a slagging match at this stage. People need to realise that tractors are essential to farmers and their daily work. At certain times of year, there's more about due to harvesting, etc, etc. Sometimes there isn't an alternate way for them to get from a-b so must use the road. Just have some patience. The actual time you'd be delayed is very small in the overall picture.
At the same time, people in slow moving vehicles should be considerate to other road users. Tractors, as with all other vehicles, should be road worthy, tax and insured, and be driven by a responsible person.

There's gonna be no winner on this thread. All can be hoped is that people on both sides of the fence will be a bit more considerate.

eire-kp

Theres a lot of crap on this thread first.
I spent a fair bit of time driveing tractors on the road at silage etc and the amount of crazy over takeing manouvers i seen you would not believe. I try to pull in as much as possible. There is a major shorage of laybys etc to pull safely in to in this country. I also drive a hgv part time at the moment and trying to find somewhere to rest/sleep in comparison to england where there is a layby ever mile or so.

On the other hand i see a good few people (mainly eldery farmers) driveing away at 10mph stareing into fields not knowing or careing whats behind them.

So really both sides are a bit in the wrong.

doctor evil

basherzz wrote: »

Farmers shouldn't be allowed on the roads full stop. Any time I go to Dublin, the slowest part of my journey home in the evening is stuck behind effin tractors between Ballinasloe & Loughrea. Then you end up in a two mile slow tailback. There should be gaps between fields and let ye travel that way. Roads are for cars/vans/trucks etc. If ye want to go on the roads, bring out yere cars.

Bizarre attitude that is just going to cause you stress.

You should learn to live and let live, as long as everyone does so responsibly.

netwhizkid

I was stuck behind a tractor all the ways from Killarney to Farranfore recently and was driven demented by it! Another thing I hate about tractors in when you encounter them by night a). either they have practically no lights or else b). they have some sort of WWII searchlights attached that would blind you from 200metres away and I don't think I have ever seen a tractor to dip his headlights at night and once you pass you are left seeing stars for about 50 10mins later.

I would say one of my biggest gripes as I don't encounter tractors two much is farmers and jeeps and trailors doing like 30MPH on roads where it is unsafe to overtake because we never grasped the idea of straight roads in the country.

Finally I also hate us drivers who are too pathetic to overtake tractors and slow moving vehicles even when it is safe to do so, usual suspects include Micras, Yaris's and any 09 Car which is almost guaranteed to be a hire car (recession) by some scared sh1tless tourist enjoying the lovely slow pace of Irish driving and never daring to overtake, confused middle aged American or young German trying to read a map in passengers seat is mandatory also.

roosterman71

netwhizkid wrote: »

I was stuck behind a tractor all the ways from Killarney to Farranfore recently and was driven demented by it! Another thing I hate about tractors in when you encounter them by night a). either they have practically no lights or else b). they have some sort of WWII searchlights attached that would blind you from 200metres away and I don't think I have ever seen a tractor to dip his headlights at night and once you pass you are left seeing stars for about 50 10mins later.

I would say one of my biggest gripes as I don't encounter tractors two much is farmers and jeeps and trailors doing like 30MPH on roads where it is unsafe to overtake because we never grasped the idea of straight roads in the country.

Finally I also hate us drivers who are too pathetic to overtake tractors and slow moving vehicles even when it is safe to do so, usual suspects include Micras, Yaris's and any 09 Car which is almost guaranteed to be a hire car (recession) by some scared sh1tless tourist enjoying the lovely slow pace of Irish driving and never daring to overtake, confused middle aged American or young German trying to read a map in passengers seat is mandatory also.

Man you need to relax or ya'll have a stroke!!