In a bid to increase road safety in rural areas, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the FCI have reminded tractor drivers that they should not attach plough lamps to a vehicle’s rear when travelling on public roads. Operators fit ploughing lamps to agricultural tractors and self-propelled machinery. These emit a white light to the vehicle’s rear to give extra visibility while working on-farm.
Both bodies advise that only red and amber lights should appear on to the rear of a vehicle when used on the road, reinforcing that it is illegal to have white lights on the rear of any vehicle switched on when using a public road.
Chief executive of the the Road Safety Authority, Sam Waide, requested that tractor operators be mindful of other drivers at lighting up time and at night.
“These lights can confuse motorists into thinking that a vehicle is approaching. In addition, work lamps are high power lamps which could temporarily blind other road users, which is a serious road safety concern,” Waide said.
Chief Executive of FCI Ireland Michael Moroney, in a statement also added their voice: “As spring work on farms gathers pace, the FCI is encouraging all tractor users to make sure that plough lamps are never used when travelling on public roads. Amber flashing lights give adequate notice of slower vehicles to other road users.’’
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