Protective Frames On Tractors Urged

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30269, 23 October 1963, Page 14

Protective Frames On Tractors Urged

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, October 22. Mr M. A. Connelly (Opp., Riccartcn), who sponsored a petition to Parliament for protective frames on tractors, today condemned the Lands and Agriculture Committee’s decision on the petition as complacent.

Mr Connelly said in the House that Parliament had a duty to order protective equipment on tractors since the safety campaign appeared to have failed.

Mr G. A. Walsh (Govt., Tauranga) had reported on behalf at the lands and agriculture committee that it

recommended for consideration by the Government the petition praying for protective equipment on crawler and wheel tractors from R B Divers, of the Workers’ Union, of Sockburn, and 1606 others.

Mr Walsh said there was no doubt about the need for concern over the continuing number of tractor accidents from which there had been 158 deaths in six years. The fitting of protective devices on tractors seemed at this stage far too restrictive, said Mr Walsh New Zealand conditions were very d-fferent from those in which the machines were manufactured and varied from flat country to very steen hill country "The committee feels research Is essential and anything that can be done to stimulate interest will be of

benefit to New Zealand. In the absence of defined and efficient means, fitting protective equipment is not practical”

Mr Walsh said that different I equipment would be needed I for protection during different work It would be different i for harvesting and grassi cutting and the ploughing or | discing of hill country. The widows and dependants of the 26 persons who had died as a result of accidents so far this year would not ' agree with the committee, said Mr Connelly. “Since this petition was introduced to the House a month ago there have been five or six deaths from tractor accidents Since 1948 there have been 342.” he said. 'Thirty deaths a year for every 100 000 tractors and no decline in recent years shows the safety campaign is having no effect.”

In the three years since Swedish tractors had been fitted with crash frames there had been only one death in an accident and that had resulted from a man's attempt to lump clear, he said: The report was referred to the Government.