Gardaí in Co. Meath have today (Thursday, June 4) issued advice to farmers and motorists this silage season following "an increase in the volume of agricultural vehicles using the road".

Officers encouraged motorists to remain patient if they are travelling behind a tractor, urging them to not "overtake in a dangerous manner."

Motorists were also told to pay attention to farm machinery exiting fields and farm yards.

According to gardaí, farmers should keep left when safe to do so if traffic is building up behind them, allowing others to pass safely.

Drivers of farm machinery were also reminded to never use their mobile phone on public roads.

Advice

Gardaí offered the following tips to tractor drivers:

Wash down wheels regularly to avoid carrying mud and stones onto the public road;
Be particularly careful when transporting material, such as silage, slurry, sand and gravel, so that it does not spill on the road and pose a risk to other road users;
Do not overload trailers in a manner that would cause them to be unstable on the road;
Look out for low bridges, overhanging trees, overhead cables and uneven road surfaces which could cause the load to shift and possibly overturn;
Never let an inexperienced driver use machinery;
Ensure that equipment/machinery has been serviced properly and is in good working order;
Be careful when using equipment which you may not have used for some time;
Do not “risk it” - if you do not know how to use the equipment get someone to advise you or find out how to use it safely.

Gardai also recommended that large farming vehicles consider using an escort vehicle to warn other road users and ensure that tractors are driven at an appropriate speed for the road conditions.

The driving mirror on tractors "must always provide an adequate view of the road," gardai said, adding that all agricultural vehicles must have proper working brakes on both tractor and trailer units.

In addition to the above tips, gardaí advised farmers to ensure supervision on farm grounds, especially when there are children or visitors present.