seat belt - always -

songhunter · Jan 21, 2004

One of the first fatalities I saw in the emergency room was in 1969. An older farmer (he seemed old to me then, but doesn't seem so old now /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) who had worked a large farm all his life had stepped down from his tractor, made some sort of adjustment to an attachment, and accidentally hit the gear shift lever when stepping back on the tractor. It was enough to put the tractor in gear, toss him down, and run over his head with the tractor's rear wheel. Two of his sons were working with him and brought him in, but there was nothing anyone could do for him.

In the mid 80's a friend of mine lost his arm during an accident with a post hole digger. I believe it caught a piece of barbed wire around the augar and entangled his arm.

Both these were operators that were familiar with the job, the equipment, and it's operation. The truth is these situations occur so fast there is little time to react.

I believe there are few things as dangerous as tractors and attachments. Even when they are operated correctly, circumstances change so quickly that proper responses can't be made or even planned. Something as simple as mowing under a tree can turn sour in a heartbeat.

Maybe some of ya'll can get by without all the safety stuff. Maybe it hinders your productivity or is unhandy so you disable it or not use it. Maybe most is operator error, and safety stuff prevents the operator error. I personally, don't mind if it keeps from doing dumb stuff. As long as it makes it a little safer, I be thankful for it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Big_A · Jan 21, 2004

If I decide not to use the "Government Mandated" safety equipment then that is what I decide to do. It is then MY RESPONSIBILITY to make sure that I am safe, as well as it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to accept the consequences of my actions.

If I am too stupid or careless to use the safety equipment then I feel I deserve the consequences. But I don't need any thing or one telling me that I have to use it.

Sure, cages and helmets on tractors seems absurd now but didn't seat belts and ROPS sound as absurd 20 years before they were mandated?

Junkman · Jan 21, 2004

Speaking of Government Mandated laws, I believe that if the State wanted to stretch the long arm of the law to apply to tractors, they wouldn't have to change a thing. In many, if not most, the law states that you will wear a seat belt when operating a motor vehicle. A tractor, being a motorized conveyance, is considered a motor vehicle by many states. To prove this point, if you are drunk and operating a tractor, you can be prosecuted for drunk driving. You don't have to leave your property to be arrested under the law. All that has to be is you behind the wheel and the key in the ignition in many jurisdictions. Personally, I don't agree with seat belt laws making it mandatory, but my opinion doesn't count for much with the legislature. In MA the people voted down the mandatory seat belt law and the legislators enacted a new one to replace the old one. So much for representation by elected government.

JASTN70D · Jan 21, 2004

I think Pineridge makes a good point. Maybe you should consider making the sacrifice of using the safety devices for your loved ones. I know it motivates me to use them. So unfortunetly someone is probably telling you to use them it just is not the goverment. After all Tractors are very dangerous even with the best operator I don't think anyone disputes that

CTyler · Jan 21, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( But I don't need any thing or one telling me that I have to use it )</font>

Sure you do. If the saftey equip/warning wasn't on there your family would try and sue the Mfg after your dead cause you weren't told what to do.

PineRidge · Jan 21, 2004

CTyler makes a very good point. Unfortunately, when fatal accidents do happen people always seem to follow the money trail. Your wife sure isn't going to say, "Well my husband just wasn't thinking too clearly and decided not to use the Roll Bar." More than likely your next of kin will sue the manufacturer because they made it possible to fold the ROPS down thereby defeating it's purpose altogether.

MossRoad · Jan 21, 2004

One more thing... after I permanently disable myself and am bed ridden for life and all my insurance has run out and my family is bankrupt from paying for my medical care, I then become a burden on society, because they will have to foot the bill for my long term care.

Not affecting anyone but myself, right??? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Junkman · Jan 21, 2004

But think about all the fun you will have with all that time on your hands to moderate...... ROFLMAO /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

keeney · Jan 22, 2004

Some more points that come up in these mandated vs voluntary debates are:

1. Most people don't have the statistics to have any clue how likely or unlikely a certain type of accident really is.

For example, does anybody know the average injury and/or fatality rate per hour of tractor operation? Anybody know the breakdown of these stats for ROPS vs. no ROPS?

2. Humans are very poor at making the right decision when they are estimating the risk/reward when something has very low likelyhood but very high cost if it happens.

Say there was 1 out 5000 chance of something bad happening, would you take that risk to save 30 seconds? What if when something bad happened, you were dead? What if when something bad happened, your first-born was dead? Sadly, in this example, many people stupidly generalize a 1 out 5000 risk to mean it won't ever happen. Or maybe they think buying and using a ROPS and seatbelt is not worth 1/5000th of the value of their life or something. Yes, 4999 of those people are right. The other one person is dead.

( My 1 out 5000 number is pulled out of the air - I also have no clue what the fatality rate really is. )

I do recall reading somewhere that the rate of fatality in a roll over accident on a tractor goes from something like a 30 to 50% chance of fatality without a seatbelt down to less than 1% chance when properly using the ROPS and seatbelt.

- Rick

Slamfire · Jan 22, 2004

The State's Motor Vehicle Laws don't apply on private property, only on State or other government property. You don't have to have registration plates on your vehicle that's never operated on the highway, except in CA, where they need the revenue. And you don't need a driver's license to drive it there.