Should tractors be allowed to drive on motorways?

Tractors are always a regular sight on motorways coming into the summer months. In recent weeks the agri vehicles can be seen carrying trailers of hay and silage bales or pulling slurry spreaders or other heavy machinery. Ireland is one of the few countries where motorways allow tractors. Farmers' groups argue that tractors that are road worthy and are taxed and insured have an equal right as other vehicles to be on motorways. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said tractors can be legally driven on a motorway in Ireland, providing that the tractor is capable of reaching a minimum speed of 50km/h. However tractors seen on the M4, M7 and M9 may be travelling at a lower speed, as they may be older models or are towing a large load. They also slow down going up inclines, especially if they have a heavy load. As a result, tractors can end up holding up traffic in the left lane. Since January 1, 2016, both tractors and trailers are required to be fitted with a speed disc indicating their design speed. The RSA advises all tractor drivers to ensure their load is evenly distributed to reduce the chance of the trailer swaying, especially in high winds or when large vehicles overtake. The Irish Road Haulage Association believes tractors at slow speeds on motorways can be dangerous to other traffic coming from behind if weather conditions are poor like in dense fog or heavy rain. It's mandatory for every tractor to have a hazard warning light on it when it is being used on public roads, irrespective of its age or size. One KildareNow reader said: "In my opinion tractors shouldn't be on a motorway - it's an accident waiting to happen and an accident on a motorway could take a lot of lives very easily. "It would've be a huge price to pay for a shortcut between two fields."   "Listen, if you're doing 120km/hr in a car legally and around a bend you suddenly come up on a tractor doing 50 km/hr - you have to adjust your speed very quickly and it's dangerous."