What would you do?

[cowboydoc]

I have to disagree with you completely Ozarker. When that tractor flipped on me it would have crushed me without the rops. As it was the tractor flipped and landed nose up the air and I was no worse for wear. When that tractor rolled on me I would probably have been seriously injured had I been belted in. The first roll the tractor created a "cave" on it's top and that's where I lay. If I had my seatbelt on I would rolled about eight times down the hill with the tractor. I would think that back and forth banging around would have been far worse than laying there on the ground thinking how stupid I was and how much trouble I was going to be in. I do agree that safety belts and ROPS are best but a ROPS is a lifesaver in and of itself as well.

"Successful Farming" had an article about this very thing about six months or so ago. You can probably find it in their archives. They discussed the issue at length and said a ROPS was a lifesaver with or without a seatbelt.

 

[Ozarker]

And when I was 16 I was in a head on collision with no seatbelts and didn't have a scratch on me. The front of the car didn’t save me….it was just dumb luck.

Disagree all you want. One exception doesn't change the rule. You could have just as easily been thrown out and crushed by the tractor. Others have been thrown completely clear of tractors without ROPS.

All the ROPS does is create a safe zone. The seatbelt keeps you in that safe zone. Without both, it is just luck if you survive.