In our area North of Bury in Greater Manchester we have a fleet of John Deere tractors running on the roads being used for general haulage running on red diesel and no operators licence.
They run heavy plant equipment down into Manchester on lowloader trailers, deliver huge pieces of stone from the local quarry, tipper loads of gravel and even seen one loaded with furniture on a removals job.
They are a menace with young lads driving them flat out weaving from side to side and always wearing earphones tapping the steering wheel.
Anyway it had to happen as one of them ran into the back of a bus in Bury last week the resulting in the bus driver dying three days later.
moomooland:
In our area North of Bury in Greater Manchester we have a fleet of John Deere tractors running on the roads being used for general haulage running on red diesel and no operators licence.
They run heavy plant equipment down into Manchester on lowloader trailers, deliver huge pieces of stone from the local quarry, tipper loads of gravel and even seen one loaded with furniture on a removals job.
They are a menace with young lads driving them flat out weaving from side to side and always wearing earphones tapping the steering wheel.
Anyway it had to happen as one of them ran into the back of a bus in Bury last week the resulting in the bus driver dying three days later.
A BUS driver has died four days after a tractor crashed into his vehicle. Steve Fox, aged 56, died at home in Bury on Tuesday night and police are yet to establish how he died or whether there was a link between his death and the crash.
“Mr Fox was examined by paramedics at the scene but did not go to hospital.” Referring to Mr Fox’s death on Tuesday, a Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “Our serious collision investigation unit has been made aware of this and is looking into the issue.” The Bury Times understands a post-mortem examination is due to be held in the next few days to establish the cause of death.
erfguy:
Surely its time for legislation to take account of A- the power of the modern tractor B- the size of them C- the gross weight. It seems bloody stupid to let a 17yr old loose with one of these when they cant get an Hgv till 21.
A few weeks ago there was a farm contractor running 5 of these outfits through Sanquhar with silage the job went on for three days two were driven guys in their 40s the other three drivers looked barely about school leaving age.Sanquhar has a notorious old council house which juts out into the main road its also at a slight bend which restricts view from both directions but this did not deter the three tareaways one in particular managed to meet something in the middle on three occasions in one day just because he ploughed on at max speed I would have thought being caught out once you would be a bit wary. Also as stated earlier the phone was superglued to the palm of the right hand.Its time there was proper training in place to cover the weight and size of todays modern tractor. Eddie.
Here I guess you mean? Definitely calls for a considered approach … there’s a car, 7.5 tonner and an artic approaching from the other side!
PS. Unlikely to be silage this time of year. Maize perhaps?
Radar19:
Those tractor boys aren’t too bad around here.
You’re joking ,I used too do a multi drop round spalding / boston area ,tractors were the Bain of my life,when you eventually got by 1 ,2/3/4 more would appear ,they cost me hours .
Ever thought that it might have summat to do with the amount of farms over that way?
As Boston has a Conservative MP,its not surprising that most landowners are not going to have any new legislation concerning agricultural tractors foisted upon them, which applies to most rural constituency’s.
What are your views on hunting then Dave, have you ever ridden to hounds?
erfguy:
Surely its time for legislation to take account of A- the power of the modern tractor B- the size of them C- the gross weight. It seems bloody stupid to let a 17yr old loose with one of these when they cant get an Hgv till 21.
A few weeks ago there was a farm contractor running 5 of these outfits through Sanquhar with silage the job went on for three days two were driven guys in their 40s the other three drivers looked barely about school leaving age.Sanquhar has a notorious old council house which juts out into the main road its also at a slight bend which restricts view from both directions but this did not deter the three tareaways one in particular managed to meet something in the middle on three occasions in one day just because he ploughed on at max speed I would have thought being caught out once you would be a bit wary. Also as stated earlier the phone was superglued to the palm of the right hand.Its time there was proper training in place to cover the weight and size of todays modern tractor. Eddie.
Here I guess you mean? Definitely calls for a considered approach … there’s a car, 7.5 tonner and an artic approaching from the other side!
Radar19:
Those tractor boys aren’t too bad around here.
You’re joking ,I used too do a multi drop round spalding / boston area ,tractors were the Bain of my life,when you eventually got by 1 ,2/3/4 more would appear ,they cost me hours .
Ever thought that it might have summat to do with the amount of farms over that way?
As Boston has a Conservative MP,its not surprising that most landowners are not going to have any new legislation concerning agricultural tractors foisted upon them, which applies to most rural constituency’s.
What are your views on hunting then Dave, have you ever ridden to hounds?
Ridden to hounds puntabrava I haven’t got the money to own a bloody horse,as far as I’m concerned, nothings changed around here. The hunts are still around and hunt wherever a landowner will let them on their land. The only people that control foxes are the blokes with the lamps and guns who call them in and shoot them, or catch them in fox wires. The hunt with fox hounds have never been much good at catching foxes. All they do is ride over good arable ground and cut it up, but the farmers this way don’t want them on their land anymore.
By the way I have driven tractors for farmers and spread lime and slag,after hauling it with a lorry.
Also lived in the country over 66 years.
I’m not a fan, in any way whatsoever, of unnecessary extra regulation and bureaucracy.
However, tractors have got bigger, faster and greatly increased more tonnes, of load, must be shifted by them via the public highways, than any point in history. It’s clearly the case that current laws and regulations, that apply, need looking at again.
I don’t suggest they do require a matching level of regulation to haulage but, I think, the agricultural community are doing themselves no favours, in the long run, by maintaining there is no need for any changes, at all, to the current regime.
puntabrava:
Maize is silage, its known as maize silage.
Ah I see, regional differences again. Round these parts when they talk about silage generally referring to grass and call maize, well, would you believe it, maize.
Own Account Driver:
I’m not a fan, in any way whatsoever, of unnecessary extra regulation and bureaucracy.
However, tractors have got bigger, faster and greatly increased more tonnes, of load, must be shifted by them via the public highways, than any point in history. It’s clearly the case that current laws and regulations, that apply, need looking at again.
I don’t suggest they do require a matching level of regulation to haulage but, I think, the agricultural community are doing themselves no favours, in the long run, by maintaining there is no need for any changes, at all, to the current regime.
Own Account Driver:
I’m not a fan, in any way whatsoever, of unnecessary extra regulation and bureaucracy.
However, tractors have got bigger, faster and greatly increased more tonnes, of load, must be shifted by them via the public highways, than any point in history. It’s clearly the case that current laws and regulations, that apply, need looking at again.
I don’t suggest they do require a matching level of regulation to haulage but, I think, the agricultural community are doing themselves no favours, in the long run, by maintaining there is no need for any changes, at all, to the current regime.
Own Account Driver:
I’m not a fan, in any way whatsoever, of unnecessary extra regulation and bureaucracy.
However, tractors have got bigger, faster and greatly increased more tonnes, of load, must be shifted by them via the public highways, than any point in history. It’s clearly the case that current laws and regulations, that apply, need looking at again.
I don’t suggest they do require a matching level of regulation to haulage but, I think, the agricultural community are doing themselves no favours, in the long run, by maintaining there is no need for any changes, at all, to the current regime.
it is coming with tighter regulations ,although it wont please everyone
A quick look at that, it’s not going to help a lot. As we all know they wont take any notice of it, and as most magistrates are big land owners they will go on getting away with it back to square one.
Own Account Driver:
I’m not a fan, in any way whatsoever, of unnecessary extra regulation and bureaucracy.
However, tractors have got bigger, faster and greatly increased more tonnes, of load, must be shifted by them via the public highways, than any point in history. It’s clearly the case that current laws and regulations, that apply, need looking at again.
I don’t suggest they do require a matching level of regulation to haulage but, I think, the agricultural community are doing themselves no favours, in the long run, by maintaining there is no need for any changes, at all, to the current regime.
Own Account Driver:
I’m not a fan, in any way whatsoever, of unnecessary extra regulation and bureaucracy.
However, tractors have got bigger, faster and greatly increased more tonnes, of load, must be shifted by them via the public highways, than any point in history. It’s clearly the case that current laws and regulations, that apply, need looking at again.
I don’t suggest they do require a matching level of regulation to haulage but, I think, the agricultural community are doing themselves no favours, in the long run, by maintaining there is no need for any changes, at all, to the current regime.
it is coming with tighter regulations ,although it wont please everyone
A quick look at that, it’s not going to help a lot.
Looks like a complete sop.
An FOI request on how many tractors have been pulled on to weighbridges or had speeding tickets issued for doing over 20mph would be interesting.
I imagine there would be as much reading in that as the Italian book of war heroes…don’t you just love seeing the farmers coming to greif though?..can you imagine the meal that would have been made of this by plod if it was a truck that flipped? no comparison.
I saw something very similar near Tring earlier this year where a farm trailer went over on a roundabout. Knocked over a lampost and damaged some fencing and in fairness, the police were giving the tractor driver a telling off. Boss Farmer Giles turns up in a pretty new Land Rover (no money in farming, remember) and rather than accept the tractor driver’s in the wrong, has a go at the police.
I expect plod got the usual “you can’t fine us poor farmers, we can’t even afford a new Range Rover Sport for towing my daughters’ horsebox this year…”
I started driving tractors on the road at 15. It was a good way to learn.
Tractors have got faster yes. But the majority of them have 50kph gearboxes in them. That means that although they are big and noisy coming through a town, they are almost always slower than all the cars, vans and trucks. Them just seem fast.
Also I love the way people give out about how fast they are going when meeting them and how slow they are when behind them.
Maybe they should have tacho, sat nav and dcpc. Sure there hadn’t been a roll over, bridge strike of fatal accident involving trucks since we got these legislation.
Oh wait…
kitbuilder123:
I started driving tractors on the road at 15. It was a good way to learn.
Tractors have got faster yes. But the majority of them have 50kph gearboxes in them. That means that although they are big and noisy coming through a town, they are almost always slower than all the cars, vans and trucks. Them just seem fast.
Also I love the way people give out about how fast they are going when meeting them and how slow they are when behind them.
Maybe they should have tacho, sat nav and dcpc. Sure there hadn’t been a roll over, bridge strike of fatal accident involving trucks since we got these legislation.
Oh wait…
I have followed tractors pulling loaded trailers at over 30mph on the road, and they are bouncing and weaving all over the place. They haven’t got suspension or the proper compound in the tyres for that speed and neither has the trailer or big baler which they are pulling. I have also driven tractors from a young age, when a Ford Dexta was considered fast at 23mph. The modern tractors are a lot faster than that.
Some tractor drivers are responsible and sensible,but a lot of seasonal drivers are employed to drive tractors at busy harvesting times, and most of these are young lads who are showing off and going way to fast with no consideration for other road users or pedestrians safety.
kitbuilder123:
I started driving tractors on the road at 15. It was a good way to learn.
Tractors have got faster yes. But the majority of them have 50kph gearboxes in them. That means that although they are big and noisy coming through a town, they are almost always slower than all the cars, vans and trucks. Them just seem fast.
Also I love the way people give out about how fast they are going when meeting them and how slow they are when behind them.
Maybe they should have tacho, sat nav and dcpc. Sure there hadn’t been a roll over, bridge strike of fatal accident involving trucks since we got these legislation.
Oh wait…
I have followed tractors pulling loaded trailers at over 30mph on the road, and they are bouncing and weaving all over the place. They haven’t got suspension or the proper compound in the tyres for that speed and neither has the trailer or big baler which they are pulling. I have also driven tractors from a young age, when a Ford Dexta was considered fast at 23mph. The modern tractors are a lot faster than that.
Some tractor drivers are responsible and sensible,but a lot of seasonal drivers are employed to drive tractors at busy harvesting times, and most of these are young lads who are showing off and going way to fast with no consideration for other road users or pedestrians safety.
But you must try and remember Dave ( as we keep being told ) these highly skilled lunatics, have been driving tractors since they were little boys, and are very good at reversing and driving around fields. It’s a shame that they can’t keep them in a straight line, and the right way up on the public roads. People would be safer in a war zone, than they are anywhere near these muppets.
altitude:
But you must try and remember Dave ( as we keep being told ) these highly skilled lunatics, have been driving tractors since they were little boys, and are very good at reversing and driving around fields. It’s a shame that they can’t keep them in a straight line, and the right way up on the public roads. People would be safer in a war zone, than they are anywhere near these muppets.
An arse of a post if ever there was one, line up 10 lorry drivers and ten tractor drivers and play spot the numptys. Hauling straw is a different job to any other aspect of haulage, whether lorry or tractor and trailer, I went to a driver relief agency last year and this year asking for drivers and they refused, ‘‘no drivers good enough’’ they said. Come and visit me with your class 1 and we will see how much of a driver you are.
altitude:
But you must try and remember Dave ( as we keep being told ) these highly skilled lunatics, have been driving tractors since they were little boys, and are very good at reversing and driving around fields. It’s a shame that they can’t keep them in a straight line, and the right way up on the public roads. People would be safer in a war zone, than they are anywhere near these muppets.
An arse of a post if ever there was one, line up 10 lorry drivers and ten tractor drivers and play spot the numptys. Hauling straw is a different job to any other aspect of haulage, whether lorry or tractor and trailer, I went to a driver relief agency last year and this year asking for drivers and they refused, ‘‘no drivers good enough’’ they said. Come and visit me with your class 1 and we will see how much of a driver you are.
Puntabrava, you seem to think we have a vendetta against tractor drivers. Whilst the tractor drivers in Wiltshire must be the cream of all tractor drivers, just come to Herefordshire and have a look at some of the tractor drivers antics. While you are at it, put your CV up against Altitudes for comparison. You might get a shock. I have loaded and hauled hay and straw with tractors and lorries, and so has most of us that have lived all of our lives in the country area’s. Several of me near neighbours are farmers, and I have cousins who are farming and also run a big contracting business. The pic’s above is of a farmer neighbour pulling stumps out of my lawn two years ago.
Cheers Dave.
I haven’t got the money to own a bloody horse,as far as I’m concerned, nothings changed around here. The hunts are still around and hunt wherever a landowner will let them on their land. The only people that control foxes are the blokes with the lamps and guns who call them in and shoot them, or catch them in fox wires. The hunt with fox hounds have never been much good at catching foxes. All they do is ride over good arable ground and cut it up, but the farmers this way don’t want them on their land anymore.
