Preventing Tractor Rollover

Rollover Protection Structure

The first line of defense in a tractor rollover is a rollover protection structure (ROPS) on your tractor and wearing your seat belt. According to the National Tractor Safety Coalition, ROPS combined with seat belt use are 99% effective in preventing injury or death when an overturn occurs. The effectiveness drops to 70% effective when the tractor has a ROPS, but the operator is not wearing their seat belt. When choosing a tractor for the job, choose the tractor with a ROPS especially when doing crop work. If you have a tractor without a ROPS, it may be possible to retrofit it with a ROPS and seat belt and financial assistance may be available. For more information about the ROPS Retrofit Program.

Reducing the Potential of a Side Overturn

The most common type of tractor rollover incident is the side overturn. The two main factors for side overturn are center of gravity and centrifugal force which are factors that keep the tractor upright. The following highlights practical ways to reduce the risk of a side rollover incident:

1. Proper braking – Lock the brake pedals together to provide even braking when driving at transport speeds. Shift the tractor to a lower speed when you begin to travel down a hill.
2. Avoiding shear line hazards – A shear line is a vulnerable area along the bank or shoulder of a ditch. To avoid these areas, tractors should be driven as far back from the edge as the ditch is deep. If you are towing implements, maintain an even wider distance from the edge.
3. Keeping buckets low during transport – The loader bucket can change the center of gravity when it is raised. Therefore, keep the front-end loader bucket low when transporting especially on sloped area.
4. Driving at appropriate speeds – Increased speed can reduce the stability of the tractor while slower speed allows you to identify approaching hazards and provide more reaction time. Maintain greater stability when pulling rear-mounted equipment by reducing your speed.
5. Using caution on sloped areas – Avoid driving tractors across steep slopes because this increases the risk of an overturn. If possible, back the tractor up the steep slope instead of driving up the slope. If traveling down a slope and you need to make a turn, reduce your speed, and turn downhill instead of uphill. When using a side-mounted piece of equipment on your tractor, keep the piece of equipment on the uphill side of the tractor.

Reducing the Potential of a Rear Overturn

A rear overturn happens when the front end of the tractor flips backward, and this type of incident can occur in about 1.5 seconds. Since this happens so quickly, the operator has little time to react, and it is good to be reminded of ways to reduce the potential for this type of overturn. Here are a few practical reminders to avoid a rear overturn:

1. Improper hitching –The drawbar is designed for and located to pull loads. When you hitch to something other than the drawbar, you increase the angle at which the load pulls and place your tractor at an increase for an overturn.
2. Freeing a stuck tractor – If a tractor becomes stuck, first try to back the tractor out of the area. You may need to remove the area behind the rear wheels and unhitch equipment. If backing out doesn't work, try going forward with the assistance of another tractor in front helping to pull you out. Avoid placing boards or blocks in front of the rear wheel because this may lead to an overturn.
3. Raising rear-mounted equipment – If needed to balance the tractor, add front-end weights to counterbalance the weight from lifting heavy-rear-mounted implements.
4. Using a front-end loader – The loader should be specifically designed for your make and model of tractor. Due to the weight in the loader, you may need to add counterweights to the rear of the tractor. When transporting a load in the bucket, keep the loader bucket as low as possible, especially on a slope.
5. Operating on an incline – When operating on an incline, operate the clutch smoothly and avoid stopping or shifting gear. The tractor has less stability because of the slope and pull on the drawbar.

Sources

Murphy. D. (2022).Tractor stability and instability. Penn State Extension.

National ROPS Rebate Program. (2024) National Tractor Safety Coalition.

Preventing tractor overturn incidents. (2024) Ag Safety and Health eXtension Community of Practice.