tractor speed limits, a consultation

[Eddy_t]

a lot of urban myths comming out here today, now some facts, tractors are limited to 20mph...by the road traffic act, tractors are described by the construction and use regulations, nothing to do with brakes, its all about suspension, try reading it, there are age restrictions on tractors the same as all other vehicles, and weight restrictions. (21 is the magic age for most driving things, ) anybody who operates a tractor on the road needs to read, and actually be aware of what the law actually says because it only takes one police orifice who knows and your licencse is gone

 

16 for a tractor mate

 

 

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[aspenarb]

I think whats happened here is the tractor rules and regs have not kept pace with the industry. The original concept was for a farmer to drive his fergi between between his fields via a short stint on the roads. Now what has happened is the kit has all slowly gotten a lot bigger and agricultural contractors with the ever increasingly bigger kit is travelling thousands of miles a year with it on the roads between contracts. This is in fact illegal as they are supposed to move them between non estate destinations by low loader. We also have a lot of non agricultural use of tractors on the road like the arb boys and even some ground work contractors using tractors, fast tracks,trailers to move kit about. So yes the rules are due for a shake up , the haulage contractor association is putting a lot of pressure on government regarding the illegal use of tractors for effectively transporting goods on red diesel with no test and no O license as they feel they are being done out of revenue.

 

Bob

[gensetsteve]

Tractors under 100hp doing less than 20 mph with hydraulic brakes keep things as they are. Over 100hp driving test and minimum age 18 lots more regulation. And I hate regulations but this is crazy at the moment round our way young kids flat out round country lanes.

[Andy Collins]

Contractors around here drive across the region, not just the county. When they cleared the large field out here the other week, they drove straight off the fields without looking, it's on a sharp double bend. How no one had an accident I don't know, it certainly was not skill, just luck. They're pulling huge trailers at speed on winding country lanes. It is not funny to see school buses full of kids driving up the verges to avoid collision.

[haforbes]

I think the idea is to slow down your not answer an emergency or putting out a fire. Its low value agricultral goods.

 

These "low value goods" can make or break people. If it's a crap summer and you've only got a small weather window to get your harvest in ,which you've worked all year to achieve, you need to get it done as fast as possible. And when I say fast, I'm talking 50k tractors which is all of 31mph! Then a car comes flying round the corner doing 50mph and you get the blame for driving irresponsibly...?? I would bet every person who posted on here has done much faster that 31mph on back lanes, and I doubt many tractor drivers actually go flat out on back lanes, big machines just look faster because they're big.

 

Undoubtedly there is some idiots let loose in heavy machinery, but you get that everywhere. But no one has actually mentioned any accidents? I can't think of any in my area, there's the occasional bale that slips of the load or blow out on the trailer but that's it. Accidents in the field or in the yards is a different story! I could list them off all day

[oldwoodcutter]

All ive noticed,time after time, is the blinking tractor and plough that goes for miles and miles and wont pull over even to the point of driving past laybys is almost always of the younger generation. Look at the driver who has pulled over for you,and he will be of the old school,looking over his shoulder at you as you pass him by.

[Lyncombe-climber]

These "low value goods" can make or break people. If it's a crap summer and you've only got a small weather window to get your harvest in ,which you've worked all year to achieve, you need to get it done as fast as possible. And when I say fast, I'm talking 50k tractors which is all of 31mph! Then a car comes flying round the corner doing 50mph and you get the blame for driving irresponsibly...?? I would bet every person who posted on here has done much faster that 31mph on back lanes, and I doubt many tractor drivers actually go flat out on back lanes, big machines just look faster because they're big.

 

Undoubtedly there is some idiots let loose in heavy machinery, but you get that everywhere. But no one has actually mentioned any accidents? I can't think of any in my area, there's the occasional bale that slips of the load or blow out on the trailer but that's it. Accidents in the field or in the yards is a different story! I could list them off all day

 

Couldn't agree more!! I've had the pleasure I've driving a 936 at 65k. What a treat. You covered it. Don't forget people you need farmers 3 times a day.

[Lyncombe-climber]

a lot of urban myths comming out here today, now some facts, tractors are limited to 20mph...by the road traffic act, tractors are described by the construction and use regulations, nothing to do with brakes, its all about suspension, try reading it, there are age restrictions on tractors the same as all other vehicles, and weight restrictions. (21 is the magic age for most driving things, ) anybody who operates a tractor on the road needs to read, and actually be aware of what the law actually says because it only takes one police orifice who knows and your licencse is gone

 

It's everything to do with brakes. AND suspension. And age is 16. Still.

[Rich2484]

I have seen plenty, and most where my old boss. Plenty of times I had to go and "rescue" the tractor from a car.

 

Once was the tractor on the car bonnet. So the car must have stopped but the tractor didn't.

 

Have seen cars in hedgerows with tractor jamming them in. Have pulled tractors out of ditches after going to fast round a corner, that was a younger driver.

 

Have also pulled a tractor upright back onto its wheels after the grain trailer pushed it round a corner and it jackknifed,...

 

Yeah plenty of accidents, but on a percentage I would have to say its, 40% older drivers and 60% younger.

 

Must be a mentality of "it's a big machine, they will move"

[Fastracwoodcutter]

Coming from a farming background there are many laws regarding tractors which are considered a grey area with the police and vosa. Weight is a big thing and length of the tractor and trailer. The only thing that is frowned upon is dangerous or unsafe loads especially when timber is concerned. I haul allot of timber on my tractor and I do 45 mph and weigh in at 28 tonne both of which is technically illegal however police I doubt will stop me for either. I did however have to change my insurance and specify I was hauling timber as at the bottom of my original insurance document did specifically no timber haulage.