Being stuck behind a tractor really won’t cost you that much time, motorists are being told as the number of tractors and farm machinery is going to increase on the roads over the coming weeks.

Noel Gibbons, Road Safety Officer with Mayo County Council, said motorists need to “give farmers a break” and not succumb to road rage as the level of agricultural machinery on the roads increases at this time of the year.

He said cars taking unnecessary risks to overtake on rural roads are a danger to themselves and other road traffic.

“Car drivers who are used to keeping up a steady 50 or 60mph on country roads at other times of the year find their heart rates soaring and steam coming out of their ears as they stare at the rear end of a tractor.”

He is reminding motorists that road safety is especially important as farmers and motorists share the road during this season.

Motorists should understand that farm machinery has a legal right to use public roads, as does any other motor vehicle, Gibbons said.

“Farm equipment is so big and slow, how could you possibly hit a farm vehicle?”

“If you do not begin to slow as soon as you see a farm vehicle, you might not have time to avoid a collision.

Gibbons has said that the Road Safety Office of Mayo County Council offers some safety tips for motorists who find themselves sharing the road with farm equipment.

Farmers – who drive their equipment on the roads – will often try to get out of the way when they can, but Gibbons has said that they need drivers to be patient and wait for equipment to find a place to pull over.

“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 has issued the following tips for road users as this busy time of year approaches:

Gibbons warned that country roads are unpredictable and, therefore, present far more challenges to drivers.

“Country crashes often result in greater numbers of fatalities and injuries because vehicles are usually travelling at higher speeds.

“Up to 70% of all fatal road collisions occur on rural roads.”

The Road Safety Officer also asked farmers to be mindful of busy morning and afternoon commuters.

“While it often is impossible to avoid operating on the roads during these times, it may be possible to limit road transportation and, if there is a build-up of traffic behind farm vehicles, pull in and let traffic pass where it is safe to do so.”