Here's why you wear a seat belt with ROPS system

[Henro]

I would be curious to know how many people who have actually tipped or rolled a tractor over, still hold the opinion that wearing or not wearing a seat belt makes (or doesn't make) sense, one way or the other.

Personally I don't wear my seat belt 100 percent of the time, but I do believe that those smarter than me do...and that we all should.

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

I would be curious to know how many people who have actually tipped or rolled a tractor over, still hold the opinion that wearing or not wearing a seat belt makes (or doesn't make) sense, one way or the other.

That may be a bit like asking MaryJoe Kopechne about Teddy's driving skills . Those who learned the lesson may not be around to share.

 

[Freeheeler]

Yes you are free to make your own choice, as you should be. I hope others ignore your advice.

I surely hope others don't do as I say just because I say it. I'm certainly not saying its safer to not wear the belt. Folks should be smart enough to make their own decision. My point was that not wearing it does not cause rollovers, and I more often than not choose not to wear it.
Maybe I should add that I only work my tractor when I want to . If it's wet, muddy, poor visibility, or any other condition I can't control, I can choose to not be on the tractor. A lot of folks use their tractors specifically in those types of conditions, and certainly uncontrol able things can happen and a seatbelt could be a valuable tool. Most of the work I do on it is in a very controlled environment on purpose and for a lot of work the seatbelt is a hindrance and the safety margin it provides at that time is minimal. For instance, flat dry ground on a clear day, digging out a stump with the backhoe ... I would not wear a seatbelt and I doubt most folks would. My backhoe seat doesn't even have a seatbelt. I'm certainly not going to put it on for that 12 seconds each time I move the tractor 5 feet one way or the other to resume digging.
Folks, please don't think I'm trying to sway anyone into not wearing their seatbelt. Wear it each and every second you are on it if you want. I'm just stating that for most of how I work my machine, I choose not to wear it. I would also advocate for folks to seriously learn the limits of their machine so they are better able to control the controllable and avoid the uncontrollable. Stay safe out there.

 

[random]

Yes you are free to make your own choice, as you should be. I hope others ignore your advice.

I have said before: go to your local rural fire department and see if you can join their next Ag Rescue class.

Responding to a tractor rollover where someone is pinned under the tractor, and is conscious, but is injured in such a way that they WILL NOT SURVIVE the tractor being moved is something you never want to face.

 

[Magicman]

I will echo Henro's comments above. I too had a very slooow rollover giving me plenty of time to have my life flash before my eyes. It's no fun. My advice: ROPs up and wear the lap belt because no rollover is ever scheduled or planned.

 

[Freeheeler]

I have said before: go to your local rural fire department and see if you can join their next Ag Rescue class.

Responding to a tractor rollover where someone is pinned under the tractor, and is conscious, but is injured in such a way that they WILL NOT SURVIVE the tractor being moved is something you never want to face.

I totally agree, that is something you never want to face. I've been involved with rescue work since '84 on a volunteer basis in several capacities. I've saved several folks from dying, I've had to watch several as they died. I've taken too many rescue courses to count. In All of them, the main tool for safety in accidents is avoidance. Aside from getting caught in an earthquake, I can't think of a situation where a tractor roll over or tip over is completely unpredictable and unavoidable. They flip because somebody was not paying enough attention to the laws of physics. Wearing a seatbelt will not change that. In a situation where I can't control things to my satisfaction and I'm thinking "crap, what I'm doing has the potential to end in a roll over" I'm not going to put on my seatbelt for safety, I'm going to find a different way to accomplish the task. Again, that's how I approach things and make decisions. In a situation where the chances of the tractor flipping is zero, I see no reason to wear a seatbelt. Everyone needs to make their own choices. And yes, everyone should take rescue courses of all types if available to them. At the very least take a first aid course and CPR. Be safe and make good decisions.

 

[Henro]

... In a situation where I can't control things to my satisfaction and I'm thinking "crap, what I'm doing has the potential to end in a roll over" I'm not going to put on my seatbelt for safety, I'm going to find a different way to accomplish the task...

The fallacy in your thinking is assuming you will be able to always assess that what you are doing should be done differently, or not at all.

With your experience you should realize this, in my opinion anyway, which is not worth much (referring to my opinion, not your experience).

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

The fallacy in your thinking is assuming you will be able to always assess that what you are doing should be done differently, or not at all.

I couldn't agree more. I am a desk jockey, but I work everyday with men and women who work with huge equipment in dangerous situations. I have learned from them that you are either working safe or your are not. There is no picking and choosing. Unexpected things happend to expereinced and skilled professionals - it is a rigorous and consistent adoption of safety best practices without personal exception that keeps them safe. The two groups of workers with most accidents are the newbies and the old timers. The first group because they don't yet know better, and the second, because they think they do.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

What I don't understand is why anyone would get onto a boat (power,row, canoe, ??) without putting on a lifevest(er, PFD ) ?

 

[Crash277]

What I don't understand is why anyone would get onto a boat (power,row, canoe, ??) without putting on a lifevest(er, PFD ) ?

depends on where I am and what I’m doing. When the boats traveling.PFD on, when sitting to hunt no, and when trolling no. mind you we are always boating in very low to zero traffic areas with minimal hazards.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Aside from getting caught in an earthquake, I can't think of a situation where a tractor roll over or tip over is completely unpredictable and unavoidable.

More thinking is needed.

 

[doublebass73]

That may be a bit like asking MaryJoe Kopechne about Teddy's driving skills . Those who learned the lesson may not be around to share.

A neighbor down the road from me was too lazy to put his ROPS up one day before he operated his Kubota. He learned his lesson about the importance of putting your ROPS up that day but unfortunately he's no longer around to share that lesson with us. My girlfriend works with his now widowed wife. She had to sell her house after that happened because the memory of finding her husband dead under his tractor was too much for her to deal with. To this day she says "I don't understand, he knew what he was doing". Since that happened I've never operated a tractor without a ROPS. I'm human and perfectly capable of making mistakes while operating a tractor.

I did actually meet a guy who survived a Ford 2N rolling on top of him. He was a big fat guy, had to have been pushing 400 pounds. He told me the doctor said his size is what saved him. How did I meet this guy? I was actually selling a ROPS for a Ford N tractor on craigslist, he came to my house and bought it so there's at least one guy out there who shared the lesson he learned.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I've wondered if ROPS makes an operator feel 'invicible' and do STUPID things that they wouldn't without it?
To me ROPS is similar to seatbelts,ABS,TPMS,traction puters,and the zillion other 'safety' features in cars today. There's a LOT of drivers on the roads that have NO idea HOW to drive, relying on the 'computer' as they have NO skills.

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

I've wondered if ROPS makes an operator feel 'invicible' and do STUPID things that they wouldn't without it?
To me ROPS is similar to seatbelts,ABS,TPMS,traction puters,and the zillion other 'safety' features in cars today. There's a LOT of drivers on the roads that have NO idea HOW to drive, relying on the 'computer' as they have NO skills.

First of all, seat belts and airbags have saved literally tens of thousands of lives. There can be no doubt about this and to suggest they are only for the clueless or unskilled is ridiculous.

As for traction control, anti lock brakes, etc - no need to have skills not needed to operate the vehicle. Just like rifling technology made all shooters better- sure you can play around with smooth bore muskets, but there is no need for the average person. Most folks can’t ride a horse, hitch a wagon or mend a wagon wheel either, yet somehow they do just fine.

I am not sure what drives this part macho, part Luddite approach to the issue of safety.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

My underlying point is that 'technology' does NOT make the operator 'better'. ROPS ,like most safety devices, can give the illusion it's safe,so 'I can do it',when without the safety device , there's no way toy'd do that .
Want a quick proof ? Defeat the ABS of a car and have the driver TRY to drive it in mildly 'bad' weather.. He won't have a clue HOW to, and probably end up in a ditch.
Some 'tech' , like seatbelts are good but the 'don't-need-to-know-HOW-to-drive' just allows unskilled people on the roads, part of the dumbing down philosphy.....
The 'tech' has existed for decades for me to tell a 'computer' I want to fly to this airport, press a button, and the computer does all the rest. Do I like the tech...to a point, do I trust it,NO, when it fails, can I fly the plane, YES....because I have the skills to do so.

 

[Freeheeler]

More thinking is needed.

Going 100 yards on my flat gravel driveway from point a to b, bucket and backhoe in place unloaded, at 3 mph in medium range. Clear blue skies, no pot holes, no uneven terrain, no other vehicles on site. There would have to be an extreme amount of force applied to flip it. There is no such source of that force present. Even if I cut the wheel to full lock and go full forward on the HST pedal, it won't flip (I've tested that out the first day I played with it). How much more thinking is needed to know for certain it can not possibly flip? I would choose not to wear my seatbelt in that scenario. Call me crazy, I don't mind. But if you know of some physics at play that could instantly and unpredictably flip my tractor in that scenario, I'd like to learn.

 

[NHSleddog]

People keep confusing cars with tractors. I'm not sure why, there are a bunch of differences between them.

However, I do think many of you in this thread would benefit from air bags as well.

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

Going 100 yards on my flat gravel driveway from point a to b, bucket and backhoe in place unloaded, at 3 mph in medium range. Clear blue skies, no pot holes, no uneven terrain, no other vehicles on site. There would have to be an extreme amount of force applied to flip it. There is no such source of that force present. Even if I cut the wheel to full lock and go full forward on the HST pedal, it won't flip (I've tested that out the first day I played with it). How much more thinking is needed to know for certain it can not possibly flip? I would choose not to wear my seatbelt in that scenario. Call me crazy, I don't mind. But if you know of some physics at play that could instantly and unpredictably flip my tractor in that scenario, I'd like to learn.

Sinkhole??

 

[Freeheeler]

Ouch. That sinkhole would definitely be a source of enough force.

 

[NHSleddog]

Sinkhole??

View attachment 54894

And I would NOT want to be wearing a seatbelt going into it with my open air tractor. But you guys that don't mind being on the wrong end of the sewer pipe, go ahead and strap right in.