The improving weather is very welcomed by farmers, who will now prepare for the busiest time of the year, harvest.
At this busy time of year there will be an increase of farm traffic on the Island’s roads, and the Manx National Farmers Union (MNFU) has asked that all road users take ‘extra care’.
The MNFU says that the coming months will be a very busy time in the farming calendar with silage, hay, and cereal planting, cropping, and transportation delayed after the wet spring.
Harvest traffic
The increased volume of farming traffic ‘also brings an increased risks of road collisions, which can be prevented by drivers thinking before they act’.
It warns that the highest area of risk is usually caused by impatient overtaking manoeuvres and inappropriate speed, with drivers unable to stop in time when encountering a slow moving or wide vehicle, underestimating size of machinery or overtaking without clear view of the road ahead.
The Union appreciates that whilst it can be frustrating travelling behind an agricultural vehicle, it’s not worth putting yourself and other road users at risk by chancing a dangerous manoeuvre.
MNFU warnings
The Union is also calling for dog owners to keep their animals under control as more lambs were killed by dogs over the weekend.
It says that this weekend, a number of dogs have chased livestock and killed young lambs across the island.
This is despite ‘countless campaigns’ to educate the public on how to protect livestock and wildlife.
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