# Risky Business; Tractors On Roadways.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

From Growing TN.

Regards, Mike

http://tennessee.growingamerica.com/features/2018/07/risky-business-tractors-roadways-have-little-legal-protection


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Happened to me the other day.....I'm following my man in the 6330 (with dual rotating beacons) both of my flashers going in my truck, and I could tell the guy behind me was getting antsy and I also knew my man was about to turn left into a drive.....idiot impatient driver floors it behind me so as to pass on my left....before I could get the turbo spooled up on the Powerstroke he had made it halfway around me and barreling towards the 6330 in an atTempt to pass but the 6330 is turning left with the FEL perpendicular to the road, the idiot driver had to take evasive action and go into the ditch at about 45mph.....a near catastrophe. Don't swing wide left to turn right either, they'll try to pass you on the right just about everytime. 
On another thread we talked about bicycles on roads.....had a lady and her daughter (18) run over by a teenager about 5 days ago at 7:30 am on a country road. Ran over both of them and killed the daughter......something I don't understand about cycles, when I was young the bicycle was a primary means of transport, we were always taught to ride against traffic, when did that change? I never see folks riding against traffic anymore.....
I think passing multiple vehicles would be a good start but under no illusions that it would save even one life......


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I also have liability policies on every tractor that goes down the road.....not sure what the cost is, but not expensive......a good investment in my eyes.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

It seems to me that the traffic gets crazier every year on county/FM rds. People move from the city to the country & are very impatient. IMHO turn signals on tractor/equipment mean ZERO to these impatient drivers as I've been passed several times with "turn signals flashing" on my tractors.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

When I moved from Chicago to St. Louis, I had to re-learn how to drive. Chicago is VERY aggressive driving. People think nothing of using the shoulder as a passing lane. You HAVE TO pull into an intersection to make a left turn (otherwise you'll die of old age waiting). You HAVE TO be rude and inconsiderate--Need to change lanes--just move over, even if there's someone in the lane. Someone wants to change into your lane because the road narrows from 4 to 3 lanes? Block them--let them move in after you--otherwise everybody will cut in front of you.

It's take me over 20 years to relearn and I still find myself reverting the "Chicago way".

Ralph


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Just yesterday I was driving a borrowed 4010 back to it's home and I'm coming up to a T intersection at which I need to turn left. There was a guy waiting at the stop sign of the T. I see him watching me approaching.

Well literally RIGHT as I get to the intersection he pulls out about 30 feet in front of me. His windows were down so I yell at him, lock the brakes up on the tractor and I go into a sideways skid on the asphalt. I give him a nice long bird which I know he saw. If I were in a faster vehicle I would have chased him down and had words.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

We have talked about fixing some of them old logging roads here so we could stay off the main road. Need an excavator though.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

slowzuki said:


> We have talked about fixing some of them old logging roads here so we could stay off the main road. Need an excavator though.


That would be the safest policy.....we go out of our way to use available dirt roads.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

slowzuki said:


> We have talked about fixing some of them old logging roads here so we could stay off the main road. Need an excavator though.


Except in MY area, they (same idiots from the main road) would be using the logging trail AND trying to drive a 60MPH.

I just happened to follow a customer today down a gravel road with a load of my/his hay. The road runs parallel to a main state road (1 mile away), we were getting passed by vehicles traveling at least 50MPH, in both directions (including a guy hauling a bumper put camper). :huh: I'm glad it wasn't "rush hour traffic" by any means.

Larry


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

On another thread we talked about bicycles on roads.....had a lady and her daughter (18) run over by a teenager about 5 days ago at 7:30 am on a country road. Ran over both of them and killed the daughter......something I don't understand about cycles, when I was young the bicycle was a primary means of transport, we were always taught to ride against traffic, when did that change? I never see folks riding against traffic anymore.....
I think passing multiple vehicles would be a good start but under no illusions that it would save even one life......

This part of the world they think they are like a motor vehicle most of the time. But don't want to stop for stop sign. Have gone so far as to try changing the law so bicycles don't have to stop.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I really think we need to increase the requirements to get a driver's license. Several years ago before the state changed our highway from a two lane to a five lane my ex was turning left into the farm with her car, and had one guy pass her on the left and another pass on the right. I even had it happen to me when turning left with my pickup; had I not looked into the mirror before turning I would have been T-boned. Even had my turn signals on as well. People are so impatient anymore.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Impatient drivers are even on the gravel roads. Some are even neighbors that have lived here all their lives. A friend of mine was hauling cattle with his pickup and 36ft stock trailer. Neighbors girlfriend must have thought he was driving to slow at 45 to 50 mph. When he took a wide turn at a corner she passed him on the right side. He didn't hit her but he was a little shocked to see someone do that.

On the gravel roads you can always tell a city persons driving when they pull out in front of a loaded pickup or truck and expect it to slow down or move over. Also when passing in opposite directions a city person won't pull over very far for a loaded truck or other wide piece of machinery.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Just as bad here whether dirt or pavement. Roads are getting worse and with no shoulders and equipment is getting wider. Just a matter of time until something bad happens.

Wife was turning left with a car behind her on a blind corner and all of a sudden a motorcycle passed both of them on the left.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

Near three years ago I was the tractor making left turn with flashers and left turn signal on and by law a no passing zone per our state law did not matter road was not marked as such and I got the ticket. A good friend is an attorney told me if I were willing to go to court with a jury I would win the case but the "neighbor" who hit me was one of those big city who moved country and drove like he wanted to. I knew it would cost less to take the hit on my insurance than have this guy running his mouth. Glad I did for an unexpected reason, he passed not that long after when a trial would have taken place.

But what I learned was my insurance company, Farm Bureau paid real quick, without ever talking with me as promised and we telling them we were going to fight the ticket. One reason I also decided not to fight the ticket. The other thing was if it been a major issue I would have needed to hire traffic accident people who could recreate the accident and video the road and proven what the Highway Patrol did not know we were in a legally described no passing zone...he made big mistake in his writing me a ticket of "improper turn" without writing the other driver "improper passing".

My friend the attorney also told me if you had trial with judge deciding it I would loss. I said I can understand that, he will want to agree with the officer since he sees him in there often and I am a one case and gone person. He said you are correct, so if a case is worth going to trial on you want a jury.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Roading tractors in my area is nothing short of treacherous.
The state of PA and local municipalities are pathetic at marking and maintaining roads. The shoulders are nonexistent, and the brush overgrowth has caused our roads to essential become single lane, pothole strewn wagon trails. The residents of my area have pretty much given up and we now have to pull off the roads in several spots and let each otherness by. Tractor and truck mirrors are easily broken off on thick stalky branches.


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