3 yr old killed in tractor accident

[4570Man]

My brothers and I were driving when we had to flip the seat back and stand on the pedals because our legs were too short and we needed all our weight to depress the clutch and brakes just like all the other farm kids in our area.

Yeah, I remember doing that.

 

[tractchores]

For better or worse I give my son (2) rides on my tractor. However he's on my lap, being held firmly and we're going very slow on level (paved) ground. Even that isn't strictly safe, but I feel that its safe enough to take the risk and he really enjoys it. I'd never have him with me doing 'work', you just can't hang on enough if you hit something with the bucket and you need 100% attention on the child or on the work so can't do both... I know as a kid I was allowed to do many things that weren't considered 'safe' today. I did my first tractor work at about 8 (solo) and was operating a 3 wheeler (and flipping it) even younger than that.

My son won't do those things, but I do think there's a middle ground between so safe you never do anything fun and taking reasonable risks. Really sorry to her about the article. Its a good reminder to us all to be safe, it only takes a second to have a serious accident on big equipment.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I think there is a huge rarity bias going on here. The event is rare so it carries more emotional 'weight' in our minds (it's a well described cognitive bias).

I'm willing to bet that strapping a 3yr old in to an appropriatly fitted car seat and taking a drive to the next town on the highway carries a higher relative risk of death/injury than a reasonably responsible adult taking that same child on a tractor joy ride.
We do the former all the time so it seems commonplace but every day children die on our highways. Who here has taken their kid with them on a errand in the car when a spouse stayed at home? Wouldn't the child be much safer staying at home?

 

[downsizingnow48]

I think it is a preventability bias. Lots of people have to take 3 year old children shopping. Nobody has to put them on their knee on a tractor.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

But you don't have to take your child every time. If we were logical and reasoned about this, we should vehemently prohibit all unnecessary car rides for children just as some have suggested for children and tractors.

My point is that there are many more dangerous activities that we do with our children almost daily that no one gives a second thought to.

Ps: Never heard of a 'preventabiliy bias' before but understand your point.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Fair enough. Although, somewhere I read, an accident is when a meteor falls through the roof into your living room. Almost everything else is someone's mistake.

 

[4570Man]

Fair enough. Although, somewhere I read, an accident is when a meteor falls through the roof into your living room. Almost everything else is someone's mistake.

That is not an accident. That is usually considered an act of God.

 

[tractchores]

Was thinking about this.. one 'safe' way would be to get some kind of seat so that a kid could be in the tractor in a proper seat and most importantly strapped in. Some tractors (big ones) have this feature. Has anyone ever seen something after market for a smaller tractor? I'm thinking something that would bolt to the fender or otherwise... There are still other risks, but it would be nice to eliminate the most obvious one of falling.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I've seen a thread in the past where someone was looking for, and failed to find a small tractor "buddy seat."

How 'bout a kangaroo harness like tandom skydivers use? (i made up the name kangaroo harness)

 

[k0ua]

How 'bout a kangaroo harness like tandom skydivers use? (i made up the name kangaroo harness)

Maybe so, but it was a pretty cool term, and we all knew what you meant.:thumbsup: