The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has followed up on its booklet entitled Revised Standards for Agricultural Vehicles which was launched at last year’s Ploughing Championships, with a new a series of short “Show-Me-Tell-Me” series of booklets on the issues, for this year’s Ploughing at the RSA stand.

The RSA is also using the occasion to draw attention to a number of further changes to vehicle width limits applicable to agricultural vehicles. These changes will also be effective from 1 January 2016.

While the overall width limit for agricultural tractors and trailers is 2.55m, larger tractors where the unladen weight exceeds 7.25t can go to 2.75m in width. Tractors with flotation tyres or dual-wheel systems are allowed to 3.5m wide, while self-propelled farm machinery, such as combine harvesters and self-propelled silage harvesters, can operate on the road at up to 3.5m in transport width. Wider machines can be transported on the road as long they have an escort vehicle included with dipped headlights, flashing amber beacons and a sign a “CAUTION – WIDE LOAD FOLLOWING.”

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The RSA has issued a free new booklet entitled >Road safety advice and driver licensing rules for drawing light trailers at this year’s Ploughing. It contains advice and guidance and is a very useful reference for those farmers who tow lighter trailers behind cars and 4x4s.

Both booklets are accompanied by the short videos below.

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New trailer rules come into force in 2016