Motorists warned: stay safe, stay behind
As the harvest season gets underway, NFU Mutual, the UK rural insurer, is urging motorists to take extra care on rural roads and resist overtaking farm vehicles to avoid accidents.
Rural roads are generally three times more dangerous than urban roads¹ but this risk is increased further during harvest time when tractors are more active on the roads and often travelling at slower speeds, turning in and out of fields.
Victoria Walton, Motor Insurance Specialist at NFU Mutual comments: “On average we see a 60 per cent increase in third party accidents involving tractors during harvest time compared to other months of the year². Last year we received over 1,200 claims from July to September.
“Accidents often occur when tractors slow down before turning right and impatient following drivers try and overtake without realising that the tractor is about to move across the road, or that another car is coming towards them. Our claims data reveals that one third of serious accidents involved one party turning right².”
NFU Mutual Rural Road Safety Code
NFU Mutual’s Rural Road Safety Code is designed to help drivers of vehicles and tractors reduce the risks to themselves and other road users.
Cars, lorries and motorbikes:
Be patient when driving behind tractors; they are rarely travelling long distances and at some point will leave the road
Look carefully for oncoming and following vehicles before turning right
Watch carefully for oncoming traffic before pulling out onto a major road
Be prepared for tractors to turn into fields and farmyards and other less obvious turnings
Remember that when turning right a tractor with a trailer will pull over to the left first in order to negotiate the turn
Check rear view mirrors before trying to overtake
Indicate clearly before pulling out to overtake