Inconsiderate drivers and tractor operators, bad mix...

[John0829]

And on the interstate, the most big trucks drive very well. But I had one past me the other day and I was doing 75. He was doing 78 or so. Good drivers and bad.

Over the road drivers yeah maybe but the local coal bucket drivers no way. They act like they own the road because they are trying to get as many loads per day as possible since they are paid by the load. I tend to stay off the interstates anymore after a semi driver nearly killed me in 2012. I was on the way to work, only me and the truck were on the road. I was traveling at the speed limit saw the truck coming a half mile or so back, next time I looked in the mirror there was nothing but truck inches from the bumper. She hit me so hard the rear end of the car was at pushed to the back of the front seats, the shirt pocket with the pens, pencils and small screwdrivers I used for work was ripped completely off. Claimed she did not see me with my lights on, I firmly believe she was distracted by the dog she had in the cab with her. That aside, how fast do you have to be traveling to drive the rear end of a Chevy SUV to the back of the front seats with it traveling at the speed limit?

Speed kills, it almost got me through no fault of my own. Speed limits are set for a reason, even though vehicle efficiency in handling and braking is better now than it has ever been the human factor has not been upgraded. Plus add in all the distractions in the newer vehicles, it is no longer just your passenger or the radio to distract but also cell phones, messaging, GPS and more. If anything speeds should be reduced in spite of vehicles having lane keeping, automatic braking, adaptive cruise, etc.. until we have fully autonomous vehicles.

I am also of the opinion instead of going in and putting down yer money and them handing you a renewed license, everyone regardless of age take should be required to take the driving test again before the license is renewed. Just because someone pasted the tests 8, 20 or 50 years ago does not mean they are still competent behind the wheel. There are a lot of people of all ages that should not be behind the wheel for various reasons. I certainly hope not but one day I may be one of them and hope someone will stop me if I am.

 

[Jstpssng]

I think they would just pay less attention and actually end up having more accidents. Ever watch the same goofball from out on the byway when they get into the Wally World parking lot:confused2:

There would be more fender benders for sure, but a lot less injuries and mayhem. Well, at least during the crash, until some little old lady gets out and beats you with her cane for taking her parking spot. :laughing:Then there would be the inevitable speed demon, who'd have to go flying by everybody else at 24 mph.
Please don't take me seriously, I don't propose that the speed limit be dropped to 20. I don't think my pickup will even go that slow.

On that note I'll leave you with a line from that classic song "Lord Mr Ford" by Jerry Reed...

If all the cars were stretched end to end they'd reach to the moon and back again... and there'd probably be some poor fool pull out to pass.

 

[LouNY]

In the state of NY if a road is not posted the limit is 55.
Many of the narrower roads with extremly limited sight distances have no signage, so they are 55 mph,
they should be 40-45 mph.
I don't care how good you think your brakes and vehicles are on a road with blind hills and curves it is no place for 55.
We had to move a small bunch of cows from a pasture up to the barns and sort a couple out and return most of them to the pasture,
about 60 head.
When we move them it is normally a 5 person job,

one person usually me parks a truck up on the top of a small hill with the flashers on and directs traffic,
because I am making a 2 lane road into one, if the cows aren't almost to or on the road I'll wave traffic thru.
If someone is coming from the other direction I'll flag one to stop and one to come through.

2nd person is at the foot of the hill with a pickup parked diagonally partially on the road with a gate swung open and resting on the tailgate,
and a piece of poly wire from the fence across the road to the pickup, laid down on the road until the cows are just a few yards from the pavement then pulled up.

3rd person about 60 yards further down the road with another pickup diagonally parked nose to the fence next to the gateway. And he controls traffic from that direction,
and heads the cows in the right direction.

4th and 5th people on 4 wheelers, one in front calling to the cows and often tossing a few flakes of hay out like bread crumbs for them to follow,
the other one behind to gently try and keep the stragglers moving with the bunch.

It is simply amazing to me the number of idiots that after I have waved them on and down past everyone waiting for cows with pickups blocking half the road and being motioned to slow down just have to stomp on it then use the brakes some and still go by the pickups and people at 30mph +.

This is on a town road with no speed limit signs so the legal limit is 55,
we do have many accidents because people will be going to fast for the road and they will lose it in a curve,
or run of the road when all of a sudden they are meeting another idiot running 50-55 in the middle of the road on a blind knoll or curve.
Or when meeting farm equipment on that road with minimal shoulders and no safe places to pull over.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
Laws vary by state. However, as well as obeying all of the posted laws you also are required to maintain control of your vehicle. In other words, if you can only see for 120 feet, don't be driving so fast that it takes you 150 to stop.

 

[ultrarunner]

Speed limits long established continued to lowered... drove a stretch today that was always 50 and now 40 with signs flashing each driver's speed.

 

[Hay Dude]

Driving down a 4 lane highway in my town. You can see driving on the shoulder is impossible. Its not wide enough and the situation is worsened because of poor road maintenance- low hanging branches are so common. If one were to drive partially on the shoulder, passing would be dangerous. In my 30+ years of roading equipment, best to take a lane, turn on all the warning lights, and just go and get it over with.
People who get angry need to move back to the city where they came from and honk their horns at each other for no reason. They move out to rural areas and dont want any farming or the minor inconveniences they cause, because their lives matter so much more.

 

[Alan W.]

Met a tractor pulling a baler early yesterday morning. Newer tractor with extended axles for duals. The black axles were all but impossible to see in the early morning light.

When it comes to over width farmers should be held to the same laws as any other business would.

 

[ovrszd]

Driving down a 4 lane highway in my town. You can see driving on the shoulder is impossible. Its not wide enough and the situation is worsened because of poor road maintenance- low hanging branches are so common. If one were to drive partially on the shoulder, passing would be dangerous. In my 30+ years of roading equipment, best to take a lane, turn on all the warning lights, and just go and get it over with.
People who get angry need to move back to the city where they came from and honk their horns at each other for no reason. They move out to rural areas and dont want any farming or the minor inconveniences they cause, because their lives matter so much more.

I understand and agree with you.

I looked at your picture and then started chuckling. The two vehicles in the passing lane were probably saying "Look at that stupid farmer messing with his phone while driving down the road!!!!"

 

[ovrszd]

Met a tractor pulling a baler early yesterday morning. Newer tractor with extended axles for duals. The black axles were all but impossible to see in the early morning light.

When it comes to over width farmers should be held to the same laws as any other business would.

That's simply impossible.

Let's go back to my pictures. The farmer needs to move his 18' wide combine a mile down the road. What do you suggest? Think a bit before answering.

 

[5030]

Driving down a 4 lane highway in my town. You can see driving on the shoulder is impossible. Its not wide enough and the situation is worsened because of poor road maintenance- low hanging branches are so common. If one were to drive partially on the shoulder, passing would be dangerous. In my 30+ years of roading equipment, best to take a lane, turn on all the warning lights, and just go and get it over with.
People who get angry need to move back to the city where they came from and honk their horns at each other for no reason. They move out to rural areas and dont want any farming or the minor inconveniences they cause, because their lives matter so much more.

I see your Kubota suffers from the same issue mine do. Slowly fading to Mary Kay pink....

 

[Alan W.]

That's simply impossible.

Let's go back to my pictures. The farmer needs to move his 18' wide combine a mile down the road. What do you suggest? Think a bit before answering.

I have moved a lot of over width equipment and every time it was on a truck flagged and bannered accordingly with the appropriate pre and or post vehicles. And yes sometimes I had to load a dozer just to move it 500 feet.
If your over width you at the very least need a vehicle in front warning approaching traffic. If thats too much of a burden then you need to hang it up.

 

[5030]

Met a tractor pulling a baler early yesterday morning. Newer tractor with extended axles for duals. The black axles were all but impossible to see in the early morning light.

When it comes to over width farmers should be held to the same laws as any other business would.

Bet if you hooked one it would give you a quick wake up call. It all distills down to common sense on the part of the automobile driver and common sense is sorely lacking today.

I get to partake in the'wide implement rodeo' this week myself. Why I prefer roading through the week. On weekends, all the 'idiots' are out, through the week, the percentage of idiots is much less, especially now that school is in session. The young ones are worse than the older ones.

You cannot apply 'overwidth' regs to farm equipment. Overwidth regs only apply to vehicles that are capable of travelling over 45 mph. Farm tractors and implements have a maximum road speed of 30 mph.

 

[5030]

I have moved a lot of over width equipment and every time it was on a truck flagged and bannered accordingly with the appropriate pre and or post vehicles. And yes sometimes I had to load a dozer just to move it 500 feet.
If your over width you at the very least need a vehicle in front warning approaching traffic. If thats too much of a burden then you need to hang it up.

Gee, in my pre retirement life I too moved over width - over height - over weight loads but none of them or the parameters apply to ag equipment and never will. Without sounding sarcastic or being such, I suggest you be more cognizant of what is going on around you and drive pro-actively.

 

[LouNY]

I am certainly glad that those who seem to believe that farm equipment needs permits and loading and being hauled are in a minority.
Fortunately we are in a farming area with Right to Farm laws which protect normal and established practices,
and roading farm equipment has been done since the days of horse drawn equipment and many of the roads were farm to farm and farm to town.

 

[Jim Nelson]

I agree with Johno829 in post 281 about knowing when it's time to give up your driving privilege, I had a retinal artery occlusion about 6 years ago which left me blind in my right eye. This condition really messes up your depth perception as well as your vision to the affected side. After all the doctors tests it was determined that there was nothing that could be done about it though there are research groups working on it. My main ophthalmologist said that with glasses I could still pass the drivers test and I did. It didn't take me long to realize that, with all things considered, I wasn't safe to be driving on the crazy freeways of Southern Ca. so I stopped. This puts an additional burden on my wife as she has to drive me to most of my Dr,'s appointments which are out of town, but I could not live with the thought of killing or injuring a family in a mini van if I hit them with my Dodge diesel powered 3/4 ton pickup. I still drive in to our little town on occasion with my little mini truck but the speed limits where I drive are 25-35 mph and there is very little traffic.

I'm still un decided as to whether to get my license renewed in 2 years when it expires.I know I won't drive on the freeways but it's nice to run into the local hardware store or garden center when I need a small item.That and the fact that many times you have to have a photo I.D. when checking into a medical facility. There is a state issued I.D. card available but it's hard to give up all the driving privileges.

 

[John0829]

The "big" farmer that has land on our road picked corn day before yesterday and runs tractor trailers to haul it out which is fine except no one else can use the road since it is so narrow unless you put it in the ditch almost into the fence row, if the ditch isn't to deep or your going to get hit. Last year I made the mistake of leaving home before I knew he was going to be taking over the road and upon return met one of the trucks forcing me to backup about a 1/2 mile so I could get out of HIS way with him almost pushing the whole way. My vehicle was smaller and it made sense but still.

Our road is a loop that connects from one state highway to another, his trucks come in one end and leave out the other so they won't have to pass one another which again is OK with me and I understand time is money however his trucks travel way to fast for the narrow road that as I stated before is barely wide enough for two normal sized vehicles to pass. I have seen them pass the house going 50+ into one of the blind curves many times and you definitely don't want to be at the bottom of one of the steep hills with the one lane culverts at the bottom.

Being inconsiderate, selfish, distracted and what I do is more important than anyone else attitudes, not only on the road, is not going to change no matter how much we complain or fuss about it here or anywhere else, in fact in this day and age it will probably only get worse.

 

[/pine]

I am certainly glad that those who seem to believe that farm equipment needs permits and loading and being hauled are in a minority.
Fortunately we are in a farming area with Right to Farm laws which protect normal and established practices,
and roading farm equipment has been done since the days of horse drawn equipment and many of the roads were farm to farm and farm to town.

LoL...Did you poll all the licensed drivers of particular geographic region or just a few mostly rural living members of a tractor message board...?? :laughing:

 

[ovrszd]

I have moved a lot of over width equipment and every time it was on a truck flagged and bannered accordingly with the appropriate pre and or post vehicles. And yes sometimes I had to load a dozer just to move it 500 feet.
If your over width you at the very least need a vehicle in front warning approaching traffic. If thats too much of a burden then you need to hang it up.

Kinda changed the subject a bit didn't ya? Would you load and haul that piece of equipment 500 ft if it were on rubber tires?

Even an escort vehicle wouldn't make it okay to road your dozer would it?

 

[ovrszd]

Bet if you hooked one it would give you a quick wake up call. It all distills down to common sense on the part of the automobile driver and common sense is sorely lacking today.

I get to partake in the'wide implement rodeo' this week myself. Why I prefer roading through the week. On weekends, all the 'idiots' are out, through the week, the percentage of idiots is much less, especially now that school is in session. The young ones are worse than the older ones.

You cannot apply 'overwidth' regs to farm equipment. Overwidth regs only apply to vehicles that are capable of travelling over 45 mph. Farm tractors and implements have a maximum road speed of 30 mph.

If you pass a tractor close enough to hit his extended axle shafts you are much, much too close!!!!

 

[ovrszd]

I am certainly glad that those who seem to believe that farm equipment needs permits and loading and being hauled are in a minority.
Fortunately we are in a farming area with Right to Farm laws which protect normal and established practices,
and roading farm equipment has been done since the days of horse drawn equipment and many of the roads were farm to farm and farm to town.

In that regard. Which is more dangerous? A large bright green combine, 18ft wide, with flashing lights, going 20mph? Or a black horse and buggy with no markings going 10mph?