Truckers still road raging over farm-type vehicles
IRHA communications director Jimmy Quinn was reacting to Macra national president Thomas Honner’s recent criticism of the truckers’ group, for comments linking traffic accidents to the use of tractors on national roads.
Quinn said the Association had called on the Government “to stamp out the use of farm-type vehicles for commercial purposes on public highways”. They were not looking for a blanket ban on farm vehicles on national roads.
He said the Association was concerned that farmers were transporting “excessive loads” over long distances with “vehicles constructed for off-road use”.
He added: “The use of large, modern tractors, in particular, which can achieve high speeds, make them a danger to other road users, when hauling these excessive weights, as they are not designed for road use and are not required to comply with standard road safety certification procedures such as the NCT.”
Mr Honner had pointed out that it was virtually impossible for farmers to avoid travelling on public roads in their tractors as they go about their daily business.
He said, “We have far too many accidents on our roads caused by all types of vehicles including lorries. To pick out tractors and deem them to be more to blame than any other type of vehicle has no basis in fact,” he said.
