Why No Seat Belt Interlock?

[Henro]

Saw the other thread about dealing with the seat switch that newer tractors have. Got me thinking...dangerous I know.

With all this focus on safety, what is more important than keeping your seat belt on when using the tractor?

I am having trouble seeing why Kubota and other manufactures today are not including a seat belt interlock, which would perform similar to the seat switch. In other words, no seat belt on, no go. Perhaps OK to start in neutral (or whatever). My car has something similar, but just a irritating warning alarm.

Could be set up in a way that the seat belt has to be pulled out a bit so it could not be easily faked by just clipping it in and sitting on it.

What's wrong with these lawyers today? Can't they see what really needs to be done? Along with an interlock that cuts the engine off, if you try to back up with the PTO engaged, I suppose...

 

[UpNorthMI]

Saw the other thread about dealing with the seat switch that newer tractors have. Got me thinking...dangerous I know.

With all this focus on safety, what is more important than keeping your seat belt on when using the tractor?

I am having trouble seeing why Kubota and other manufactures today are not including a seat belt interlock, which would perform similar to the seat switch. In other words, no seat belt on, no go. Perhaps OK to start in neutral (or whatever). My car has something similar, but just a irritating warning alarm.

Could be set up in a way that the seat belt has to be pulled out a bit so it could not be easily faked by just clipping it in and sitting on it.

What's wrong with these lawyers today? Can't they see what really needs to be done? Along with an interlock that cuts the engine off, if you try to back up with the PTO engaged, I suppose...

Let’s not create more electronics and switches. I know many people who pluged their car seatbelts in by running the belt around the back of the seat just to get rid of the noise.

The current seat safety switch is in my opinion the correct balance of safety and convenience. This is a difficult topic as there are many different opinions. Many people want less regulation, others believe in more safety education and training.

I have friends help me driving a tractor at times and my son who is now 18 operate them for many years, my view is that any operator gets some training and that they understand a simple set of do’s and don’t. The do’s include wearing a seat belt and taking things smooth and steady.

You can not cut power with pto running when backing up as it is often normal operating practice. I often back up with the pto running, when using things such as rotary cutter, tree saw and rear snow blower.

My vote is training, education, supervision for new users but most of all common sense and paying attention.

Happy New Year and tractor safely.

 

[Mrlunchbox]

No need for extra government control is how I look at it. You hurt yourself its your fault for doing something stupid. Darwinism will take over.

 

[i7win7]

I am having trouble seeing why Kubota and other manufactures today are not including a seat belt interlock, which would perform similar to the seat switch. In other words, no seat belt on, no go.

When ROPS is down, you need the ability to jump off. Seatbelt needed when ROPS up so your not crushed by it.

 

[Henro]

When ROPS is down, you need the ability to jump off. Seatbelt needed when ROPS up so your not crushed by it.

That makes complete sense for a tractor with a folding ROPS. Guess that would require another sensor.

Gee...thinking about it, the lawyers permit a folding ROPS!!!???

They must be slipping!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Let’s not create more electronics and switches.

Amen! We have more than enough safety devices. It seems the more of them we have, the less people use the most important one between their ears.

My son was saved from injury last summer when he rolled my BX-25. He was wearing his seat belt, or he might have been injured, perhaps seriously, so please understand I DO take this seriously. I'm the one who taught him the importance of ALWAYS using it.

But we have more than enough government mandates, gimmicks, and failure points, thank you.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Get rid of ALL 'safety devices' ! If you can't run a tractor without them, you shouldn't be operating the tractor. Yes there wil be a few 'accidents' due to equipment failure but mostly it's 'operator error' that cause them.
Consider the 'can't backup and cut grass' safety stuff. Sounds good, on paper, but obviously doesn't in real life, otherwise WHY is there a 'bypass' switch to DEFEAT it ??? As for cars, get RID of ABS, autosteer, and 'infocenter' screens. NONE of those are needed by a person who CAN drive a car. If seatbelts save lives WHY aren't they MANDATORY in Schoolbuses ???
As for seatbelt interlock on a tractor... can you imagine the cost to a real farmer when his 200K tractor can't plow the fields becoause some 'engineer' specked a Made in China switch that fails !!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

If seatbelts save lives WHY aren't they MANDATORY in Schoolbuses ???

There are a lot of reasons for that.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=why+no+seatbelts+on+buses

As for whether or not seat belts save lives, that question belongs solidly in the "flat earth society" column. The data is overwhelming. The sun rises in the east, the earth is a sphere, and seat belts save lots of lives.

 

[i7win7]

As for seatbelt interlock on a tractor... can you imagine the cost to a real farmer when his 200K tractor can't plow the fields becoause some 'engineer' specked a Made in China switch that fails !!

A real farmer can deal with a seat switch, it's all the pollution control BS that stops planting/harvesting when weather permits farming operations.

 

[chim]

Saw the other thread about dealing with the seat switch that newer tractors have. Got me thinking...dangerous I know.

With all this focus on safety, what is more important than keeping your seat belt on when using the tractor?

I am having trouble seeing why Kubota and other manufactures today are not including a seat belt interlock, which would perform similar to the seat switch. In other words, no seat belt on, no go. Perhaps OK to start in neutral (or whatever). My car has something similar, but just a irritating warning alarm.

Could be set up in a way that the seat belt has to be pulled out a bit so it could not be easily faked by just clipping it in and sitting on it.

What's wrong with these lawyers today? Can't they see what really needs to be done? Along with an interlock that cuts the engine off, if you try to back up with the PTO engaged, I suppose...

Wait a minute. Today is January first. You had me thinking it was April first

 

[Henro]

Wait a minute. Today is January first. You had me thinking it was April first

Probably wishful thinking. Already retired of the cold weather and snow...

 

[Tire Biter]

How about an IQ test before the tractor will start. If road going vehicles had that, half the population would be stuck home.

 

[SDT]

No need for extra government control is how I look at it. You hurt yourself its your fault for doing something stupid. Darwinism will take over.

Bingo, and thank goodness.

SDT

 

[ccoon520]

That makes complete sense for a tractor with a folding ROPS. Guess that would require another sensor.

Gee...thinking about it, the lawyers permit a folding ROPS!!!???

They must be slipping!

There are situations in which a non foldable ROPs is a larger safety hazard. Low clearance situations could cause the ROPs to break off a tree limb or something similar onto the operator. Safety interlocks aren't there to save dumb people. They are there to save a smart person making a stupid mistake.

Everyone here has probably done something absolutely stupid that ended up with them seriously hurt or close to it in the last 12 months due to being over confident, in a hurry, a brain fart, or some other slue of possibilities. In some of those cases I would bet a safety device saved an appendage or even a life and I for one am happy that by blind luck or the forethought of a dagum engimeneer that you didn't end up being called stumpy by your buddies for the rest of your life or worse finding an early end. Just the other month I picked up a lid that was in the oven without an oven mitt because I needed the space on the stove really quickly due to some unforeseen circumstance and burned my hand.

I went and called myself a moron for the next week trying to figure out why I didn't just set a hot pad on top of the lid handle so I had to grab it to move it like I usually do but reality is stuff happens. Over confidence and routine work have killed or maimed many a farmer a lot of whom usually were very good about using common sense.

 

[WFM]

One thing I read here back in 2013 when finally in my life bought a real tractor was "remember tractor work is slow and steady work, your not in a race with anyone".
Being a new L3800 owner and knowing how many folks get crushed and killed each year that really stuck with me.
After a month or so I did zip tie the seat switch. And bush hogging the field on hills I go up and down with rops up. Never side hill. I respect it and actually have never used the seat belt once.

 

[orange crusher]

Saw the other thread about dealing with the seat switch that newer tractors have. Got me thinking...dangerous I know.

With all this focus on safety, what is more important than keeping your seat belt on when using the tractor?

I am having trouble seeing why Kubota and other manufactures today are not including a seat belt interlock, which would perform similar to the seat switch. In other words, no seat belt on, no go. Perhaps OK to start in neutral (or whatever). My car has something similar, but just a irritating warning alarm.

Could be set up in a way that the seat belt has to be pulled out a bit so it could not be easily faked by just clipping it in and sitting on it.

What's wrong with these lawyers today? Can't they see what really needs to be done? Along with an interlock that cuts the engine off, if you try to back up with the PTO engaged, I suppose...

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TROLL.................. Obviously boredom has set in for someone today.

 

[D2Cat]

Oh That's a fantastic idea, safety interlock for tractors. Let's let the current legislative bunch figure it our and write it up to be legally binding.

It would take a few thousand pages, cost more then the total tractor, send millions and billions to foreign countries to make them feel good about it. Oh, it wouldn't work when installed, no one would know who to contact to get it corrected, no parts available to fix it, and you'd be jailed it you didn't use it. I'm all for it!

 

[07wingnut]

You cannot have enough safety equipment on tractors so as to prevent injury. What we really need is a proximity detector on tractors that detects if there is a person anywhere near or on the tractor. It can then make the tractor impossible to start. Problem solved, nobody gets hurt.

 

[GeoHorn]

When they quit selling tractors to anyone with a credit-card...

 

[Henro]

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TROLL.................. Obviously boredom has set in for someone today.

Ha Ha, I was going to like your post, but figured you would not know it was me...the OP.

But I would like to think I am not a troll but rather someone amazed by how as a society we seem obsessed with protecting ourselves from ourselves...and just observing/questioning.

But really, why not? They have set up lawn tractors so they cannot mow in reverse...and perhaps more than that for all I know.