When tractors kill…
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2003
(VANCOUVER) - Operating farm machinery is hazardous under the best of circumstances, but driving farm machinery on public roads can be especially dangerous. On average, one in 14 farm-related fatalities is attributed to a collision with motor vehicles. Two out of three of these collisions usually involve a tractor, and almost half (45 per cent) occur during July, August, and September, according to a study by the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP). Only one in twenty-five farm-related hospitalized injuries are motor vehicle related – unfortunately this indicates a very low survival rate, reveals the study.
This year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week campaign, March 12-19, aims to reduce traffic-related incidents by promoting Farm Safety and Street Smarts. To assist in this theme, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) have joined together to launch a campaign that highlights various safety considerations when driving farm machinery.
"We have to make it clear that safety is a choice, not an act of fate," says Bob Friesen, CFA President. "Almost all farm-related tragedies are preventable. That's why we're targeting our efforts at urging farmers to make safety and prevention a priority on their farms."
The CAISP study reveals the most frequent cause of single vehicle collisions on public roadways occurs 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 occurs when a farm machine is driven onto a public roadway from another farm or public roadway. Another major cause of incidents is rear-end crashes and these also generally occur 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.
"As the spring planting season approaches," says Dr. Judy Guernsey, chair of CASA, "this campaign brings to the forefront the importance of following safe driving practices – not just during Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, but all year long."
On average, 118 people are killed and another 1,727 are seriously injured each year in farm-related incidents in Canada, and there are countless minor injuries that are never even reported.
"We believe the long-term strength of the agricultural industry depends on a safer workplace for Canadian farmers," says John Ryan, FCC President and CEO. "We're proud to support Canadian Agricultural Safety Week 2003. If we can help prevent one injury or fatality, we will have made a difference."
For more information on this campaign and for other farm safety materials, please visit our web site at www.cfa-fca.ca. Farm safety means farm safely.
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Founded in 1935 to provide Canada's farmers with a single voice in Ottawa, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is the country's largest farmers' organization. Its members include provincial general farm organizations as well as national and inter-provincial commodity organizations from every province. Through its members, CFA represents over 200,000 Canadian farmers and farm families.
Contact:
Theresa Whalen-Ruiter, CFA Farm Safety Co-ordinator Tel/Fax: (613) 731-7321 Cell: (613) 235-7321 E-mail: twr@magma.ca or visit www.cfa-fca.ca
