Large tractors.

[t-tony]

I’ve often wondered how safe these big articulated tractors and trailers were in the hands of relatively inexperienced drivers.

Car crushed by tractor in collision caught on CCTV

Police say nobody was seriously injured in the incident outside an airbase.

www.bbc.co.uk

Tony.

 

[Oddly Godly]

Not sure the zed would have protected me much

 

[Toby]

Saw that when it happened Tony, amazed the car driver was unhurt tbh.

As it was coming towards him he must have thought it would change direction at some point, until it was too late.

 

[D R Oldfield]

what amazes me is the age of some of drivers up here in cumbria at silage time they fly through the lanes usually with two fully laden trailers on at what seems to fast a speed and dont stop for any one

 

[Jim B]

Many of the drivers although they are young are very capable of controlling large machinery as they have been driving since they were about 8 off road on farms . The problem I believe is texting whilst driving which you can get away with when in fields but some don’t see that it’s just not safe on the roads.

 

[t-tony]

I doubt anyone of 8 years old would have been driving such machinery at that tender age, would be very foolhardy to have been allowed to but either way they certainly wouldn't have been doing 40mph on public roads?

Tony.

 

[Jim B]

I didn’t say they were driving on public roads at 8 , but if they grew up on a farm they would certainly be started driving by that age supervised ,take it from a farmer. I can’t remember the first time I drove but was reversing trailers unassisted by age 9 all be a lot smaller tractors in those days ,the farms don’t have small tractors now so they learn on bigger ones.
My point was that they on the whole are not inexperienced drivers.

 

[t-tony]

I take your point regarding driving at a young age on farms Jim, I did it too (take that from a country boy) But that’s no substitute for driving a 25? Ton vehicle at 40 on a busy road. I could drive a tractor and 4 wheel trailer loaded with bales on the road at 16 (on a moped licence) but that was doing 12 to 15 mph max.

Tony.

 

[Richard29]

These new tractors are fast even loaded.

 

[Jim B]

I think we’re generally in agreement Tony, although young they are mostly capable and experienced in the handling of large machinery , they presumably have past their car test thus allowing them to drive tractors but be it tractor or car -as an examiner once said you’ve passed your test now go and learn to drive .

 

[HenryPatterson]

It's crucial for less experienced operators to take their time, get proper training, and gradually ease into handling these massive machines.

 

[Pingu]

deleted. It had already been said

 

[JohnkVancez]

I've often pondered the safety aspect of putting these big articulated tractors and trailers into the hands of relatively inexperienced drivers. It's a valid concern, and ensuring the safety of both the driver and those sharing the road is paramount. If you're navigating the world of farming equipment or know someone who is, safety features and user-friendly designs become even more critical. Speaking of which, I recently stumbled upon https://www.machinerydealer.co.uk/compact-tractors-for-sale/—an excellent resource for anyone in need of reliable and safe machinery. They offer a diverse range of compact tractors, and what's great is they cater to various experience levels.

 

[gookah]

anyone, other than the police, thought of contributing it to the 'unfit through drugs' bit? rather than age and inexperience, (which themselves do not seem to be actionable)

 

[as400]

I thought there was some restriction on agricultural machinary driving on the roads once it was dark? The lights they have are not designed for road travel after dark and sometimes these tractors etc have various metal implements protruding from the front.

Admittedly you are unlikely to see this in a city centre but in rural locations they seem quite frequent.

 

[Jam03]

Reminds me of an encounter we had in Wales last year. Tractor with its front wheels several inches off the ground.