HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen Agriculture, 2003-03-19, Page 34THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003. PAGE A-9.
Farmers’ traffic trends
Nature’s work
Supporting the Stewardship Rangers is just one of the projects in which the Huron
Stewardship Council is involved. (Janice Becker photo)
Council supports Rangers
Canadian farmers represent fewer
than one per cent of the Canadian
population. The economy of scale has
demanded larger farms and
machinery from Canadian farmers.
Yet, there are more roads and traffic
volume than ever before. This means
that extra caution is required of
farmers when driving farm machinery
on public roads because other traffic
are not familiar with farm machinery
and its unique tendencies.
A study by the Canadian
Agricultural Injury Surveillance
Program (CAISP) has identified some
trends and common denominators in
farm-related traffic incidents.
Each year an average of 13 per cent
of farm-related fatalities are from
traffic-related incidents, the majority
of which involve tractors. By age,
victims tend to be somewhat evenly
split at 25 per cent between the ages
of zero to 25, 38 per cent from age of
26-49, and 37 per cent are aged 50
and over.
There is also an equal split among
the single (47 per cent) and multiple
(48 per cent) vehicle collisions.
Collisions categorized as single
vehicle include, for example, a
vehicle rolled over into the ditch; and
multiple vehicle collisions, which
include, for example, two or more
vehicles in a collision.
The most frequent cause of single
vehicle collisions on public roadways
is when a tractor is driven too close to
the shoulder resulting in a sideways
rollover into the ditch. For multiple
vehicle collisions, intersections are
clearly a hazard. The most common
cause of multiple-vehicle collisions is
when a farm machine is driven onto a
public roadway from a farm road, or
another public roadway.
There were a number of rear-end
crashes, also generally occurring at
intersections. > ’
Finally, left hand turns at
intersections or onto driveways are
also a hazard. This pattern of collision
tends to be associated with inadequate
signalling or inadequate visibility of
that signalling.
Almost half (44 per cent) of
collisions occur during July to
September, which is a busy farming
season in terms of field crop
production. Just over one-quarter
(26.8 per cent), happen in the spring
and just under one-quarter (22.4 per
cent) happen in the fall. Relatively
few farm-related traffic incidents
occur during the winter months.
The Canadian Federation of
Agriculture, Farm Credit Canada, the
Canadian Agricultural Safety
Association and Agriculture and Agri
Food Canada encourage farmers to
exercise caution when on public
roads, by being alert and ensuring
machinery has appropriate lights and
reflectors to be safely seen on the
road. Farm Safety Means Farm
Safely.
Continued from A-8
The council has played a role in
advising many groups including the
farm environmental coalition and
the water quality coalition.
They were in on the ground floor
of a three-year initiative to create
buffer strips and corridors which
was eventually taken over by the
Healthy Futures for Huron
Agriculture program. Members of
the council remain on the peer
review committee for that
group.
The Stewardship Rangers, a
program run by Warren Moore of
Blyth, offers an opportunity for
youth to participate in
environmental projects through
summer employment.
The students work on stream
rehabilitation, adopt-a-creek, trail
maintenance and planting seedlings
for naturalization programs.
The council participates in Slice of
Huron, teaching children about
water quality and has partnered with
the Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority to develop a groundwater
education program for presentation
in schools.
In the role of information source
and educator, Bowers said the
council is always looking for new
ways to get people involved,
particularly those who have not
participated previously.
They are interested in new
partnerships and the level of
involvement varies.
“The council plays very different
roles with different projects,” said
Bowers. “We can be very active or
just provide a small financial
donation.”
“Our intention is' to try to involve
as many people as possible. We want
to know what people want to learn
and how they want to receive that
information.”
Now in its seventh year, the Huron
Stewardship Council is among 40
councils across the province
involved in a wide range of projects
specific to each area.
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