POLICE WARN ROAD USER’S TO BE AWARE OF AGRICULTURAL VEHICLES

“All motorists are asked to stay alert and drive to the conditions they come across when driving.  At this time of year the farming community are very busy with hay, silage and harvest activities and as such are almost working round the clock to get all the work done when the weather is favourable.  This adds to the traffic on our roads, and in particular brings an added danger as many of the tractors and combines are restricted in their speed and travel much slower than other traffic.  This in turn can cause long tailbacks of traffic to form, and it is here that we urge patience from the travelling public when coming across this type of traffic.  Do not take risks when looking to overtake.  If you regularly use roads where farm traffic is prevalent at this time of year then why not set off a bit earlier to ensure you get to your destination on time.

“Likewise, those driving agricultural machinery on the roads are asked to consider the effect their vehicle and its speed or size has on other road users.  If it is apparent that your vehicle is causing a long tailback then consider pulling over in a lay-bye for a couple of minutes to allow the following traffic to pass safely.  Better that than having motorists attempting a dangerous overtake manoeuvre which can put everyone’s life at risk.  Police Scotland are working with the local national Farmers Union to get this message out to those in the agricultural industry.

“With the cooperation of everyone using our roads” explains Inspector Moffat, “we can continue the downward trend of people getting injured on our roads.  Our officers will be out and about 24/7, patrolling the roads, giving advice and dealing with those who do not adhere to the laws which are in place to deal with careless, inconsiderate or even dangerous driving.  Working together, we can all ensure that we keep our roads safe for everyone to use.”