Rural road users are being urged to take extra care over the coming months as farmers begin the harvest season and agricultural traffic increases.
The harvest season is already underway in many places, with livestock farmers making their vital first cut of silage to build stores to feed cattle through next winter.
The next few months will see higher volumes of agricultural traffic, including tractors pulling heavy silage and grain trailers or wide agricultural machinery.
Coinciding with the hotter weather when people look to explore the countryside, NFU Mutual says harvest season brings a greater need for all road users to take care.
The latest claims data from the rural insurer shows that collisions between agri vehicles and third parties were 52% more likely between the start of May and the end of September 2022.
On average, there were 423 of these accidents per month during the silage cutting, hay making, and harvesting season, compared to 249 per month between October and April.
As well as an increase in farm traffic, the summer months also coincide with the school holidays and a greater amount of leisure traffic.
Jade Devlin, rural road specialist at NFU Mutual, is encouraging rural communities and visitors to remain aware of tractors, trailers, and other machinery.
“With silaging underway in many parts of the UK, we’re beginning to see more tractors, trailers and large machinery such as combine harvesters on our rural roads.
“Unfortunately, our claims data shows that accidents involving these agricultural vehicles and third parties are over 50% more likely in the harvesting season.
“Agricultural vehicles are generally large, wide and slow, which can tempt road users to overtake, but it’s vital that you remain patient and only overtake when it’s safe to do so.
“Farmers and contractors cannot drive too quickly, but they will generally either be going a short distance to an adjacent field or will – and should – pull over to allow built-up traffic to pass."
She added: “Mutual respect from those who use rural roads for work and for pleasure will ultimately help keep our motorists, cyclists, horse riders and walkers safe this harvest season."
Reiterating the importance of staying safe on rural roads, Inspector Jem Mountford from Warwickshire Police said road safety was "everyone’s responsibility".
"With more people using country roads during the summer months, it is important we are all patient and show respect to other road users.
“If everyone does this, then we can reduce the number of collisions and injuries on these roads.”
NFU Mutual has published a guide to respecting rural roads during this year’s harvest season.
All road users
• Give plenty of space when overtaking. Vulnerable road users, such as walkers, runners, horse riders and cyclists, should be given as much room as motorists where possible.
• Always check for other road users, particularly at the entrance of fields and junctions.
• Be patient with fellow road users and only overtake when it is safe for all road users.
• Consider where you park to avoid blocking field entrances or obstructing the road for wide agricultural machinery, such as combine harvesters, as they will often need to drive across two lanes.
• Be aware of mud on the road. Rural roads are essential to our farming industry and therefore some mud will be dragged from fields to the road.
• Familiarise yourself with the Highway Code.
• Avoid unnecessary distractions like looking at your phone or listening to music through headphones, allowing you to be aware of your surroundings.
Farmers
• Ensure all equipment is road worthy and pay particular care to things like trailers which may not have been used for months.
• Be aware of vulnerable road users or hidden junctions, making contractors aware of these junctions and commonly-used walking, cycling and riding routes.
• Familiarise yourself and your contractors with the speed limits for your vehicles.
• If your agricultural vehicles leave mud in the road, remember to clean it up.
• When turning, indicate in plenty of time and check more than once for road users on your inside.
• Be respectful to fellow road users, but only allow them to pass when it is safe to pull over.
Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists
• Speed limits are not targets. Always drive appropriately and remember rural roads are likely to have hazards such as tighter carriageways, blind corners, and animals in the road.
• Pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders should consider wearing appropriate clothing which enables them to be seen.
• Respect that rural roads are vital to our farming industry and expect to encounter tractors, farm machinery or animals in the road.
• Signal correctly and in plenty of time, whether you are a motorist, cyclist or horse rider.
