Neighbor Tractor Accident

[aczlan]

When I'm making a left turn with no one coming at me I slowly cross the center line and by the time I'm at my turn they would have to run off on the left shoulder to pass me.

I had a woman pass me on the tractor in a BMW when I was turning like that.
I looked, it was clear 1/4 of a mile down the road (I could see to the sign where the speed limit went from 40 to 55mph and there were no cars in view), I turned right onto the road and made an almost immediate left (with my left signal on and pointing left with my hand). I was about halfway across the oncoming lane when she passed me with her middle finger out the sunroof, a phone held to her ear, 2 wheels in the gravel, 2 wheels on the shoulder.
Not sure how fast she was going, but it was a lot faster than 55mph.

Aaron Z

 

[MossRoad]

It drives me nuts when someone moves over into the oncoming lane to make a left turn. On many occasions I've had to go off the right side of the road because oncoming traffic came upon the left turner and then into my lane to avoid the head on. They laser focus on the thing in their lane and don't see me in my lane behind their obstruction.

The same thing goes for people that cross the oncoming lane and drive up to their mailbox to get the mail from their car. Then oncoming traffic arrives and they have oncoming traffic on the left and the right of their lane.

 

[3930dave]

I had a woman pass me on the tractor in a BMW when I was turning like that.
I looked, it was clear 1/4 of a mile down the road (I could see to the sign where the speed limit went from 40 to 55mph and there were no cars in view), I turned right onto the road and made an almost immediate left (with my left signal on and pointing left with my hand). I was about halfway across the oncoming lane when she passed me with her middle finger out the sunroof, a phone held to her ear, 2 wheels in the gravel, 2 wheels on the shoulder.
Not sure how fast she was going, but it was a lot faster than 55mph.

Aaron Z

BMW, it's much more than just a financial commitment...... you agree to drive like that in the sales contract.....

With any luck, this was hers:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/front-porch/309524-bmw-break-my-window.html

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

It drives me nuts when someone moves over into the oncoming lane to make a left turn.

Usually works OK, in a low traffic environment.

It's a bit of a lose/lose in heavier traffic. Depending what you're towing behind a tractor, you may have little/no rearward visibility - in that case here, you may get people trying to blast past you on the left if you sit in the right lane, just as you start your turn. Saw a guy on a motorcycle rip the front bumper off an Olds 88 years ago, doing just that.

Many people don't scan the road far enough ahead, others just don't care.....

Biology, while not my strong science, taught me that over-crowding produces deviant behaviour in animals..... roads today are just one example of that.....

Rgds, D.

 

[MossRoad]

I guess I'm just used to coming up on farm equipment going slow on narrow highways. I'll agree lots of folks don't give them the room they need, or, for that matter, the rules they are allowed under our state laws. However, I think they're supposed to pull over first chance they get when they have more than three vehicles backed up behind them, and in mint season, they just won't pull over for anyone. And that makes the car guy angry, and brings out the worst in aggressive behavior.

 

[Deere Dude]

However, I think they're supposed to pull over first chance they get when they have more than three vehicles backed up behind them, and in mint season, they just won't pull over for anyone. And that makes the car guy angry, and brings out the worst in aggressive behavior.

At times you pull over and stop to allow the three cars to pass. They sometimes hesitate as they pass which chews up more time. Then you take off again and get up to speed then before you know it you have three more cars behind you. You can't win other than to just rip it and get to where you are going and drive on the right as far as possible.

 

[aczlan]

I guess I'm just used to coming up on farm equipment going slow on narrow highways. I'll agree lots of folks don't give them the room they need, or, for that matter, the rules they are allowed under our state laws. However, I think they're supposed to pull over first chance they get when they have more than three vehicles backed up behind them, and in mint season, they just won't pull over for anyone. And that makes the car guy angry, and brings out the worst in aggressive behavior.

When I am driving down the road, I try to ride the shoulder and wave people past whenever possible but its not always possible (or safe) with a loaded haywagon and I will ride the yellow line and not wave people by if its not safe to pass (car coming or blind curve).

Aaron Z

 

[MossRoad]

At times you pull over and stop to allow the three cars to pass. They sometimes hesitate as they pass which chews up more time. Then you take off again and get up to speed then before you know it you have three more cars behind you. You can't win other than to just rip it and get to where you are going and drive on the right as far as possible.

Yeah, I can see how a farmer would get frustrated, however, its against the law. He has to pull over. Just like the guy in the car has to wait if he cant pass.

 

[LouNY]

Yeah, I can see how a farmer would get frustrated, however, its against the law. He has to pull over. Just like the guy in the car has to wait if he cant pass.

I'm glad that's not the law here. At times I've waited several minutes to get out of a field with a load of silage and when I get that load moving I'm not going to pull over and stop. Now most of our road hauls are under 3 miles, when I'm on our town roads which are narrow and often have rough shoulders and a 3-4 inch drop to the shoulder I'm not running that high dollar tractor tire on that edge, on top of that our roads have numerous blind corners and knolls that can't be seen over or around when I meet traffic I'll throttle down and depending on the road shoulder and my load maybe drop a gear or 2 and then right back into it. When we are doing haylage or corn silage my first and last loads are the tractor chopper and wagon there is no safe way for anyone to pass me so quite often I run right down the middle. When I get to the state highway with a good paved shoulder I'll take a full traffic lane and that shoulder when I get close to my left turn across traffic as soon as on coming traffic lets me I'm straddling the center line and starting my turn otherwise the jerks in cars and pickups are going to try and pass as I'm turning .
About a month ago I was following my nephew back to the farm he was in a NH 6050 with a feed wagon behind him, the farm driveway is on top of a knoll as he slowed to turn a jackass passed us both using what shoulder there was if anyone had been coming they would have had a headon collision because of that idiot. I loss track every year of the stupid drivers on rural roads with or without farm equipment being there. When we move cows across the road we stop traffic, I have had stupid ***** try to drive around me with 20 to 100 animals in the road.
So guess what height my loader bucket sets when i'm on a loader tractor.

 

[aczlan]

Yeah, I can see how a farmer would get frustrated, however, its against the law. He has to pull over. Just like the guy in the car has to wait if he cant pass.

It is suggested, but not legally required here. Much like LouNY, I am not going to pull off the shoulder and risk shredding the tire on a loaded haywagon (or a $$$ tractor tire) when I am on the road for less than a mile. If someone is in a hurry, they are welcome to pass and if its clear I will move over as far as I can safely.
However, when its my time to make a left turn, I will take my half out of the middle to make sure that the other lunatics on the road understand that I am turning left and don't try to pass me on the left (possibly removing my front axle in the process).

Aaron Z