WITH silage-making getting under way and more tourists heading for the country as the weather improves, NFU Mutual is warning tractor drivers to take special care on the roads.
"Our claims statistics show that accidents involving tractors and other road vehicles remain worryingly high," said Pamela Oldfield.
"A high proportion of the most serious accidents involve farm vehicles and motorcycles travelling at speed. Almost inevitably they are the result of human error, often due to lack of concentration by drivers, undue speed or faulty equipment, such as indicator lights which are obscured or not working."
She added that many accidents happened when tractors turned right into a farmyard or field. "As tractors slow down before turning, impatient drivers tend to try and overtake without realising that the tractor is about to move across the road. For this reason it's vital that tractor and trailer indicators are kept clean and that drivers take special care when turning right."
For more advice on farm safety, call NFU Risk Management Services on 0800 132029.
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