The evenings may be drawing in, but out in the fields there's no sense of things bedding down for winter just yet. Drilling is still in full flow and the maize harvest is just around the corner - and that means there's plenty of roadwork to be done.
With that in mind, we've focused on two key aspects of road safety that you can influence...
Mud on the road
As field conditions become wetter, avoiding bringing mud out of fields on tractor and trailer wheels becomes more difficult. However, leaving mud on the road is an offence under the Highways Act and as well as the obvious insurance claim issues, has the potential to lead to serious injuries and death for other road users.
Cultivating and harvesting operations at this time of year will inevitably lead to some mud on the road. For this reason it is important to have a plan to warn other road users of the hazard and clean the road as soon as possible, intermittently throughout the operation if required.
Do everything possible to prevent mud being deposited on the road. This includes cleaning mud from vehicles, as far as practicable, before they are taken onto the road.
Keep to your own farm roads and minor roads whenever possible and consider travelling at lower speeds on shorter journeys to help retain mud on the vehicle.
If there is a danger of mud being left on roads, use authorised 'Slippery Road' signs with a 'Mud on Road' sub plate to alert other road users. You may wish to talk to the highways dept at your local council to get advice on sourcing the right type of signs.
Make sure signs are positioned to give maximum visibility and warning to other road users. You may want to keep a written record of your decisions on whether or not to deploy signs and/or to clean the road. You should clean the road as necessary during the working day and always clean it at the end of the working day. If the council have to clean the road due to your operation, they may decide to charge you for the service. Be prepared to hire in equipment to clean up mud and other debris.
When you use a contractor, agree who is responsible for mud on road issues such as signage, cleaning etc before the operation starts.
Lights
Having working lights is a legal requirement to travel on the road and with darker evenings there is an even greater need for good lights to avoid any accidents and ensure you’re as visible to other drivers as possible.
You should check all tractor and trailer lights before starting any operation, fix anything that may have been smashed in harvest and repair any connections that might have worked their way loose.
If you are interested in increasing the visibility of your vehicles, you may want to consider installing secondary brake and indicator lights a little higher up on the trailer to better warn following traffic of your intentions.
Good front and rear reflectors can also help to give other road users a better impression of the overall width of the vehicle, including any protrusions from mounted equipment or overhangs from trailers.
Although it’s not compulsory to use amber beacons away from a dual carriageway, it is a good idea. It helps to make your machinery more conspicuous and warns other road users that you are driving a large and slow moving vehicle.
Generally, the more visible you are on the road the better, but remember that working lights are just that. They are for fieldwork and should not be used on the highway. Displaying a white light to the rear of the vehicle is dangerous and unless you’re reversing, it is a road traffic offence.
Get more from the NFU on transport issues here.
- Peter Garbutt - 01/10/2010
Thanks Mike. Of course you're right that anything you can do as an operator to make your vehicle safer and more visible to other motorists is a sensible step. The NFU can offer guidance and advice to members on such subjects as lighting requirements for trailers and appliances on on other transport related subjects through CallFirst on 0870 845 8458.
- Mike Donovan - 28/09/2010
This page is an excellent idea - but could be more outspoken. Farmers can raise road safety levels - fitting bonnet mirrors to see what's coming on the road before pulling out; adding strobes to the generally poor lighting on trailers; fitting illuminated indicator arms. Also they can help by not being so overlit they dazzle other road users. Having ten full power lights on the front of the tractor is overkill. Using white rear working lights on the road is illegal, but often done by tractor drivers. Dazzling rear lighting is dangerous, as the traffic which comes up from behind is unable to see the true width of the (generally unlit) implement on the back, which really needs a lighting board attached to the outside edge for a journey after dark. Best wishes, and lets hope your tips page has some effect!