Points to Emphasize
Never hitch higher than drawbar height.
Always fasten the seatbelt when operating a tractor equipped with rollover protection. If there is no
rollover protection, do not fasten the seatbelt.
Lock brake pedals together before high speed travel.
Keep loader bucket as low as possible to prevent rollover.
Be aware of the danger
Tractor overturns – both sideways rollovers and backward "flips"- are likely to result in death if the
operator is not protected by a rollover protective structure (or ROPS).
A tractor has a high centre of gravity, compared with a passenger car or pickup truck. This makes
them relatively top heavy, and more prone to tipping over.
Particularly in the case of 2-wheel-drive tractors, the back half of the machine accounts for more
than two-thirds of the weight.
If a tractor's rear drive wheels can't turn, the machine will want to turn on its axle when power is
engaged. Think about this one fact: it can take less than one second for a tractor to reach the "point
of no return" in a backwards flip after the front wheels leave the ground!
Prevent sideways overturns
1. Short, quick, high speed turns upset tractors. Slow down before turning.
2. An attachment like a raised front loader increases a tractor's centre of gravity, making it even more
"tippy".
Lock brake pedals together before driving at high speed. Application of uneven brake pressure can
literally force a tractor to rollover.
tailgate talks
Prevent tractor overtUrns
wsps.ca
