Motorists need to give farmers a break when travelling on country roads, according to a Road Safety Officer from Mayo County Council.
As the weather improves at the beginning of the year, so to does the level of farm-vehicle traffic on rural roads, Noel Gibbons said.
Gibbons has renewed his appeal for both motorists and farmers to stay safe on the roads in 2017.
Drivers who take unnecessary risks to overtake on rural roads are a danger to both themselves and other road users, he said.
Motorists should understand that farm machinery has a legal right to use public roads, as does any other motor vehicle, he added.
Road Safety Tips
The Road Safety Officer believes motorists need to slow down on country roads. A car travelling at around 90kph can close a gap of just over 90m and overtake a tractor moving at 25kph in about four seconds, he said.
If a driver does not begin to slow down as soon as they see a farm vehicle, they might not have time to avoid a collision, Gibbons added.
Mayo County Council’s road safety office has offered a range of road safety tips for motorists who find themselves sharing the road with farm equipment.
It is issues like farm equipment turning right as a car was trying to pass or a car underestimating the width of something that we need to educate both road users on.
“We’d like to prevent these kinds of issues if we can,” he said.
Motorists are reminded to reduce their speed when the see a slow moving vehicle emblem and to remember that farm machinery operators may not be able to see them; the large equipment or load they are transporting can block part of their rear-view mirrors.
Significant risks can also arise when roads are wet or muddy. On wet roads, a car’s stopping distance can be increased by up five times the limit of when it’s dry.
It is illegal and very dangerous to pass farm equipment in an area where over-taking is prohibited; the relatively slow speed of farm equipment does not make it safe to pass in situations that are not otherwise lawful, according to the road safety office.
Motorists are urged to make sure whether or not an agricultural vehicle is turning left or right before attempting to over-take.
It is important not to assume that when the equipment veers left, the operator is pulling over for you to pass. The operator is likely preparing to make a wide right turn. Likewise, sometimes to make a left turn, the driver must fade to the right.
In the case of a build-up of traffic, farmers are advised to move to the side of the road to let traffic pass when it is safe to do so.
Country roads are unpredictable and, therefore, present far more challenges to drivers, Gibbons said.
“Countryside crashes often result in greater numbers of fatalities and injuries because vehicles are usually travelling at higher speeds,” he said. Gibbons also asked farmers to limit the time tractors spend on public roads, where possible, during rush hour traffic periods.