October, the month of the last harvests of beets and certain varieties of potatoes. The month of the last agricultural work preceding the winter also. It is also one of the busiest times of the year in terms of the number of agricultural convoys. According to Vias, the institute in charge of road safety issues in particular, the month of October is a dark period in terms of road accidents involving a tractor. “In October, there is one accident per day (national average)! That’s double the average for the rest of the year.“, explains Vias spokesperson Benoît Godart. the last five years, despite a certain stagnation in the figures, there are still between 180 and 200 annual accidents involving a tractor in the country. It’s still a lot, knowing that these accidents are often more serious than the average for other types of accidents. Indeed, a tractor is a heavy and robust vehicle. It can cause significant damage to other users.
In Walloon Brabant, despite a lower number of accidents than in the other Walloon provinces, the “black spot” remains the N25. This fast axis has hit the headlines in recent years due to accidents, often quite serious, between tractors and other vehicles. Main causes: distraction and the speed difference between cars (120 km/h) and tractors (40 km/h). The situation seems to be improving, in particular thanks to the installation of section radars and better visibility of agricultural convoys. But for farmers, this situation remains stressful.
fear behind the wheel
Often criticized by motorists, van drivers and other bikers, farmers have repeatedly recalled, for a long time, that the construction of the N25 would force them to take the National to access their fields. “They tried to forbid us to take the N25. It failed, because we have no alternatives to go to work“, explains Dominique Lebrun. This farmer from Walloon Brabant often has to ride the N25 in a tractor near Grez-Doiceau. A crucial journey for her work, but which requires extreme vigilance and which generates significant stress.”We often look in our rear view mirror. And when we see a motorist arriving at full speed, we wonder if he will see us, if he will overtake us at the last moment. It’s stressful ! Thanks to the section radars, there are fewer racing cars. The situation is improving. But there can always be a speeder or a driver distracted because of his mobile phone, in particular. A car crashing into the tractor can be very serious for the motorist but also for us, even if the tractor is heavy and robust!“
Many farmers have increased their visibility in recent years. “Personally, I installed new, more powerful flashing lights. With LEDs. Some have other systems to be seen from afar. This is important, but we always dread distracted drivers behind the wheel. All users must be vigilant and respect the Highway Code in all circumstances“.
Finally, remember that farmers must clean the roads that their vehicles could have soiled, mud representing a significant risk of slipping.