£5,000 fines for tractor drivers who cause long queues
Holding up more than six vehicles whilst behind the wheel of a tractor could land you 3-9 penalty points and a fine to the tune of £5,000.
That is according to the founder of Quotezone.co.uk, Greg Wilson, who issued the warning to drivers of agricultural vehicles in recent days.
The farm vehicle insurance firm pointed to the Highway Code’s Rule 169, which states that road users must not create or hold up a long queue of traffic.
The rule pays special attention to those driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Therefore, Wilson says that this potentially makes tractor drivers high on “the list to gain police attention”.
Fines for tractor drivers
If tractor drivers find they are creating queues, the Highway Code and police forces advise that they pull over where safe and allow traffic to overtake.
Wilson highlighted that frustration could lead to dangerous manoeuvres to try and bypass farm vehicles.
In a statement, he said: “Farmers are incredibly busy. It is not always possible to pull over. However, it is really important to be as safe as possible on the roads and also safeguard finances.”
“Penalty points could see insurance premiums increase by as much as 25% for 6 points.”
“Given tractor insurance can be rather expensive, it is not worth the financial risk or potentially losing a driving licence if the new penalties push total points to more than 12,” he concluded.
He advises farmers to check mirrors regularly and show “reasonable consideration” for other road users to avoid prosecutions.
Male arrested after being found on a road beside running quad
Meanwhile, a passer-by contacted police after discovering a male on the ground beside a running quad on a country road outside Ballycastle, in Co. Antrim last week.
Late last Friday night (April 15th), Ballycastle Neighbourhood attended the scene of the single-vehicle road traffic collision.
Read more on this news story.
