A review of road safety laws relating to farm machinery is urgently needed, Fine Gael’s spokesperson for agriculture Tim Lombard has said.The call comes as the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) begins its two-week farm inspections campaign.
A review of road safety laws relating to farm machinery is urgently needed, Fine Gael’s spokesperson for agriculture Tim Lombard has said.
The call comes as the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) begins its two-week farm inspections campaign.
Lombard said: “We have a situation in this country where 16-year-olds can do a theory test and then drive a tractor that can do 50km/h with a load of more than 20t behind it.
It is about not only the people who are dying, but about the families who are left behind
“This is absolutely ridiculous. Teenagers with nothing more than a theory test are legally allowed to drive powerful farm machinery and a review is urgently needed.
“We have laws in this land that are for a different, previous age.”
The Cork senator described recent tragedies as a blight on the farming community and society.
“It is about not only the people who are dying, but about the families who are left behind. I have seen two fatalities in my locality in the past six weeks.”
Change
“We need to have major change, because what has been done in the past decade has not been successful.
“To really make a change when it comes to farm safety and what is happening on our family farms, we need to make hard and somewhat unpopular decisions,” Lombard warned.
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