Bryce Frazier

Well-known Member
Had a scary one the other day, and am just now coming up with time to report on it.

I have been working for a guy locally, GREAT guy. We are doing a LOT LOT LOT of hay, all he does actually!

Anyways, I was roading a International Hydro 86 back to the farm (I want one... bad...).

The boss was following me in a Dodge 2500 with a Cummins (I want one... bad...). He had his HAZARD FLASHERS on.

Somewhere along the way, a small car got behind us, I was doing 18 mph. Shortly after they got behind us, we were ready to turn off of the road, onto the farm road, which meant crossing on coming traffic in order to turn left.

I look behind me, and the boss swapped his HAZARD lights, over to a LEFT turn signal, and the car appeared to be hanging back a little bit (this is a 45 mph area).

I drive along a little more, then look behind me one more time, car is still way back there. I start to turn left. Going slow now, mainly because it is a BIG tractor and a TINY TINY road! I am about half way across the lane at a 45 degree angle, and I head a horn, I turn around just in time to see this little car RIGHT at my left rear wheel. I mean RIGHT freakin there! I turned to the right as fast as I could, he swerved to the left, off the road, then back onto the road, then took off!!!

I was now nearly side ways in the right lane, pointing the wrong direction when the boss goes HAULING past me! (now by myself).

Passes the guy, forces him to stop, and I think pretty well scared the you know whats out of him! I was watching as best as I could, but was a good 1/4 mi away! ALMOST got into a good fight with the guy, but boss just got back in the truck and came back to me (now breathing normally again, and off the road)...

Wow, scared me bad. Looking back on it, I don't think that even if they had hit me, it would have been that bad, because I am in a huge machine compared to that little plastic box, BUT I suspect that due to the speed he was traveling, it would have been ugly to say the least.

Everyone is okay! Just thought I would share my story, so we can all be reminded to look one more time...
 
Bryce You where lucky!!! That little tiny box of a car can put a hard hit on a tractor. I have seen guys killed driving a tractor and getting hit by a car. That car could easily be going 40-60 MPH in a short time and that is lot of stored energy.

I have had many close calls making left turns. I now get in the middle of the road and block them behind me for a short distance before I have to make a left turn.

I am glad you where not hurt. Your boss may have made a point with this ONE idiot but there are ten more for every good one. BE SAFE!!!!
 
Just think though, the guy in the little car might have thought his life was in danger, getting chased down by a guy in a big pickup truck like that.

What if he had a concealed carry permit and what if he was armed?

That could have turned out very badly.
 
Don't feel bad, I almost ran an 806 wide front over the hood of an idiots car once. In a construction zone(county road) I had the right of way and this idiot refuses to stop where they were told to. I think there was maybe an inch between the front of the tractor and their car. I was very tempted to walk across the hood of their car and give em ell at minimum.
 
Glad your ok. People just don't realize farm machines move faster then they think. About a month ago my brother almost knocked a guys windows out with the loader. He was running down the road, hugging the shoulder(so people could see, and was going to turn right in a few hundred feet), with a chopper wagon. Out of no where a truck zoomed around and had to swerve hard to avoid a truck in the oncoming lane. The loader on the tractor came within 2 ft of taking out the windshield. If the forks were on contact would have been made.
 

I very rarely have to make left turns where speed limit is above thirty, but if I do I go into the center for about 100 yards before. I posted a couple weeks ago about the drivers out there who believe that right of way is determined by ability to accelerate.
 
I agree with JDS. Just because you are bigger is no gaurantee you won't get hurt...had that car hit your rear wheel, it could easily have snapped the axle and the tractor would have rolled into the ditch. Good that you kept 'er on the road.

Ben
 
Keep in mind that even a small compact car still weighs over a ton. Typically 2500 to 3000 pounds. Moving at even 30 mph, it could be enough to tip over a tractor that has a high center of gravity and is not designed to absorb impact.

That driver is very lucky in several ways. If I had been a cop and saw that, I would have written him enough tickets to cost him his license for a very long time. If I were the judge that he would have had to appear before, I would have given him maximum penalties on ALL of those tickets. And, if I was a hearing officer for the DMV, he would most certainly be walking for a very long time.
 
JD Seller;

I totally agree with you, I kind of made it sound like I was invincible because of the size of the tractor, which is of course not true, but I would like to think that I was a LITTLE better off than an 8n or something?! :)

As for the other two comments about the boss being shot, he is an x Marine, I think he was okay... "wink"...
 
middle of road like you do is what I was taught long ago ,,, of course I look back , and hand signal and point where I intend to go ,,, and always double chek thosecars ,,..when ,left turn catastrophes happen .. on a tractor it is usually real bad ,,.. so be careful ,,. Bryce , you do not state that you signaled by hand or lites or in any manner???
 
I had about the same thing happened to me when I was about your age. I was on a 350 utility pulling baler and wagon. Behind me was two college girls then a semi and more cars behind that I stood up and put my arm out to signal my left turn sat down and started to make it and a gto that was flying veered to miss me and his back tire hit my front. It bumped my front end over a few feet but he went sliding for a few 100 yds. before he got it stopped. I made my turn and stopped and the two girls pulled in behind me. The guy got turned around and came back and jumped out of the car and started to raise cane with me and them two girls jumped on him and he couldn't get a word out, he finally got back in his car and left with them two girls yelling at him the hole time. Nobody hurt but his pride.
 
Bryce---Before turning left at any place on a public road,

get safely into the oncoming lane so that no-one can pass

you. Then make your turn.
 
Well, I ALWAYS signal a turn with hand signals (none of our stuff has lights), however, lately, we haven't been doing so, because that seems to be the "pass me" signal! Which I almost wonder if that is what happened this time...

SO, now I am doing what you guys say, GET OVER to the middle, signal, then go for it (after looking of course).

Just a scary world, gotta be safe!
 
Glad your Ok, and everything worked out as it could have been bad for both you and the driver of the car. In fact a friend of my Dad saw his Father killed, years ago, when the same thing happened to him, as he tried turning into their driveway. In his case he was on a smaller tractor, and between that, and the speed at which he was hit, he never really stood a chance.

Personally I've been moving a piece of equipment for a customer, also with someone behind me in a vehicle with their flashers going, and had people pass me in a blind curve. All if it just goes to prove that there are some really stupid people out there with drivers licenses.
 
It is unlikely a small car would break the axle. What can happen is the door
skin of the pickup truck can wrap around the direct dual hub sending the truck
into a barrel roll that ejects the unbelted driver. It will also jacknife the wagon
tractor combo sending you sliding down the road unable to counter steer with a load
of seed wheat in wagon. A tractor ride you will never forget or want to repeat. Maybe
it's the Hydro that sets them off,I was driving an 826 at the time.
 
>he is an x Marine, I think he was okay

Jarheads bleed when shot, just like the rest of us. The larger and more intimidating the aggressor is in a road rage situation, the more likely it is the other party will pull a gun.
 
I live on county pavement and have to turn left into my drive most of the time due to where farms are located. There are double yellow lines at my driveway, but I get passed about 50% of the time. I move into the opposite lane now before turning, and have seen some real idiots.
 
(quoted from post at 07:03:43 07/06/15)

DEAD IS DEAD... no matter whos fault.

Exactly! Right of way means nothing if you are dead!

Couple of years ago a guy on a bullet bike hit the rear tire/wheel of a tractor hard enough to break the wheel or axle, don't know which. Tractor was newer but about the size of a Hydro 86. So thinking that a car hitting you makes you safe is flawed thinking.

As far as the bike tractor accident the guy on the bike had his girlfriend with him. Both died instantly. All the news media could talk about was the fact that they were not wearing helmets. They could have been wearing helmets and body armor and it would not have been a survivable accident for them.

There have been many farmers/hired hands kill through they years when the tractor they were operating was hit by a car.

As afar as Marine's go road rage can kill them too.

Rick
 
I would avoid all road rage incidents , giving finger , chasing people , getting out of car unless you want a court date.{ or maybe even gunbshot wound].
 
Just yesterday, heading over to bale at the neighbor's across the road, driving the 5400 with baler and empty wagon. I had the flashing lights on the tractor, as I approached the drive, I wanted to swing across the center line to block from the rear, but the lady coming towards me keeps slowing down, not signaling a turn, but slowing as she approached me! I turn on the turn signal to my left, and she now stops in the oncoming lane, like she is giving me the right of way to turn, and the yahoo behind me is thinking he should pass between us! I signal roughly for her to move the F along like a normal person should, and she slowly heads past me, and I complete my turn, holding my tongue, and the guy behind speeds on as well. We get to the field and my son says "Did you recognize that lady?" I said, no what an idiot, stopping on the road like that when she had the right of way. He then tells me that she is the new teacher at our church's grade school, just joining my wife on the faculty. SO glad our first meeting did not include any list of obscenities sprinkled with English conjunctions...
 
Good post subject, glad that you are ok. As I see it the boss in the escort truck should have been the one to move over blocking the left lane well ahead of the turn.

joe
 
When driving a slow moving vehicle, once you are aware that someone is trying to pass you it's best to just let them go by you as soon as possible. That is so much safer and less stressful for everyone. The other driver can go on his way and you no longer need to worry about him.

Construction equipment will often pull off the road at intersections or driveways to let backed up traffic go around them, but I rarely see any farm equipment do that. After forcing someone to follow for more than a minute or for several minutes, isn't it just common courtesy to give up 15 to 30 seconds of your own time to wave the backed up traffic around once in a while? It's unrealistic to expect commuters to have unlimited patience for slower traffic.

Left turns are dangerous, I try to let any backed up traffic get around me before I start a left turn.
 
Turning left I've had too many close calls, I now do as others, check for vehicles then take the whole road. As long as they are saying WTH is this guy doing they won't try and squeeze past. Keeps me and them safe.
 
(quoted from post at 18:44:21 07/06/15) When driving a slow moving vehicle, once you are aware that someone is trying to pass you it's best to just let them go by you as soon as possible. That is so much safer and less stressful for everyone. The other driver can go on his way and you no longer need to worry about him.

Construction equipment will often pull off the road at intersections or driveways to let backed up traffic go around them, but I rarely see any farm equipment do that. After forcing someone to follow for more than a minute or for several minutes, isn't it just common courtesy to give up 15 to 30 seconds of your own time to wave the backed up traffic around once in a while? It's unrealistic to expect commuters to have unlimited patience for slower traffic.

Left turns are dangerous, I try to let any backed up traffic get around me before I start a left turn.

I know everyone has a different way of dealing with this, but I do not wave anyone around. If you wave someone around, and something happens to them, whether it be run off the road or into an oncoming car you didn't notice, you can then be held liable because you gave them the all-clear signal. As much as I would like to be courteous to other drivers, I do not want the liability.
 
(quoted from post at 17:31:49 07/06/15)
(quoted from post at 18:44:21 07/06/15) When driving a slow moving vehicle, once you are aware that someone is trying to pass you it's best to just let them go by you as soon as possible. That is so much safer and less stressful for everyone. The other driver can go on his way and you no longer need to worry about him.

Construction equipment will often pull off the road at intersections or driveways to let backed up traffic go around them, but I rarely see any farm equipment do that. After forcing someone to follow for more than a minute or for several minutes, isn't it just common courtesy to give up 15 to 30 seconds of your own time to wave the backed up traffic around once in a while? It's unrealistic to expect commuters to have unlimited patience for slower traffic.

Left turns are dangerous, I try to let any backed up traffic get around me before I start a left turn.

I know everyone has a different way of dealing with this, but I do not wave anyone around. If you wave someone around, and something happens to them, whether it be run off the road or into an oncoming car you didn't notice, you can then be held liable because you gave them the all-clear signal. As much as I would like to be courteous to other drivers, I do not want the liability.

Staying on the road and waving people by is dangerous. Pulling off the road at a safe place, like a business parking lot, to let traffic go by is considerate, safe, and can help you to avoid being showered in shrapnel from a head on taking place beside you. I have two places where I do it regularly.
 
In Indiana, there USED to be a law that if you had 3 or more vehicles backed up behind you, you were required to pull over and let them pass. If course, a lot of the roads didn't have a shoulder to pull over onto, so the law wasn't enforced often. But I have seen folks on tractors pull over and wait until the traffic has passed before attempting to make a left turn. And I think that makes a lot of sense.
 
Pulling to the middle to block those behind from passing is a good idea IF you can see the oncoming traffic. At my place the drive is right at the top a rise that you can't see over until you are right up on the top of it at the drive entrance. You'd risk getting front ended by pulling to the middle, best to stay in your lane and slow way down, and look carefully before turning into the driveway.
 

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