Agricultural Vehicles Registration Plates

[Paulatic]

Sticking with my point about the definition of a vehicle including its trailer(s), without sight of these regulations I'd have wrongly assumed that the correct reg for the towing vehicle had to be displayed an the back of the last trailer. For agricultural machines, it appears that's not so; the reg of another agricultural machine kept by the keeper of the towing vehicle will do. That probably gives an idea how relaxed the legislators were about reg plates on agricultural machines.

I don’t know if we were doing right or wrong but in 20+ years were never challenged about it. As a business we would pull livestock trailers with pickups and land rovers. The trailer would have a number plate recognising one of the vehicles owned by the business. Not always the same number as the towing vehicle.

[thirdcrank]

Sticking with my point about the definition of a vehicle including its trailer(s), without sight of these regulations I'd have wrongly assumed that the correct reg for the towing vehicle had to be displayed an the back of the last trailer. For agricultural machines, it appears that's not so; the reg of another agricultural machine kept by the keeper of the towing vehicle will do. That probably gives an idea how relaxed the legislators were about reg plates on agricultural machines.

I don’t know if we were doing right or wrong but in 20+ years were never challenged about it. As a business we would pull livestock trailers with pickups and land rovers. The trailer would have a number plate recognising one of the vehicles owned by the business. Not always the same number as the towing vehicle.

I think that what goes unenforced is no guide to what's street legal, especially in the remoter reaches of something like vehicle licensing. I think it's fair to say that even in the days when road traffic formed a big part of policing, vehicle registration etc was considered infra dig. I'm not going to reiterate stuff I've covered at length before but local paper records were bad enough and the establishment of "Swansea" originally the DVLC turned it into sick joke. There were a couple of proposals to scrap vehicle duties completely, to be replaced either by fuel duty or road pricing and one of the concerns was that there'd be no £££ to maintain the owners' index.

The impetus for standardised reg plates came from ANPR and enforcement cameras, but that came too late, imo.

You never know what might happen in future, but the likelihood of changing the rules about tractor reg plates to facilitate reports by eg cyclists with cameras seems slight

[pete75]

Sticking with my point about the definition of a vehicle including its trailer(s), without sight of these regulations I'd have wrongly assumed that the correct reg for the towing vehicle had to be displayed an the back of the last trailer. For agricultural machines, it appears that's not so; the reg of another agricultural machine kept by the keeper of the towing vehicle will do. That probably gives an idea how relaxed the legislators were about reg plates on agricultural machines.

I don’t know if we were doing right or wrong but in 20+ years were never challenged about it. As a business we would pull livestock trailers with pickups and land rovers. The trailer would have a number plate recognising one of the vehicles owned by the business. Not always the same number as the towing vehicle.

Probably because the few officers assigned to cover large rural areas have more important priorities.

[Postboxer]

I'd be amazed if the average use of a tractor was 100 to 200 hours a year, I could easily believe some are used 100 hours in a week.

[Paulatic]

Probably because the few officers assigned to cover large rural areas have more important priorities.

That could well be true. However I spent a lot of time on the motorway network between Preston and Glasgow, and A roads from Ayr to Newcastle and cities in between. Not just rural bobbies.

[Paulatic]

I'd be amazed if the average use of a tractor was 100 to 200 hours a year, I could easily believe some are used 100 hours in a week.

Yeah me too
Older tractors you had to be running around 1800 revs to clock an hour in an hour. Modern tractors can now measure an hour in an hour. A tractor near me would clock up 100 hours last week getting silage in.

[cyc1m1k]

Ah, good point re plates Paulantic. On the side would do, even if my camera could not pick it up, then at least my eyes could.
Could also be on the front edge of the roof for some.
Need not be immediate for all tractors, could be introduced for new ones only.
The big new ones are the main problem, in reality they are too big (wide) for some of the country roads.
Verges are being eroded by the big wheels and roads round me are permanently thick with mud or dry soil.
But, that genie is out of the box and it is too late now to restrict size.

[thirdcrank]

There are perhaps different perspectives on the purposes of rural roads. I'd have thought that facilitating agriculture would be high on the list.

[Paulatic]

Ah, good point re plates Paulantic. On the side would do, even if my camera could not pick it up, then at least my eyes could.
Could also be on the front edge of the roof for some.

If you’re in a sticky situation I imagine there is no time to look around reading number plates. A lot of tractors around me have a name and telephone number on the bonnet because they are contractors. I read them easily I’m in an unthreatened mode.
I’ve been looking at tractors closely since you started this thread. The last ten seen on the road were covered with lights along the top of the cab. Any legislation can’t be selective, if you can, it will have to be applicable to all in that class.

[francovendee]

The annual usage figures seems very low.
Farming is a big industry and whilst it's annoying to have to pull over to let one of these huge machines pass I remind myself we all depend on farmers to feed us. Food is better produced locally than shipped half way round the world.

[cyc1m1k]

Hi Francovendee,
You say, "Farming is a big industry and whilst it's annoying to have to pull over to let one of these huge machines pass I remind myself we all depend on farmers to feed us. Food is better produced locally than shipped half way round the world."
I agree totally about local food, but at what cost?
We are effectively destroying country roads, not just the verges but also the road surfaces due to the increased weight.
When they are resurfaced, all taxpayers pay for it.
There is also far more movement of such vehicles along the roads both from the increased use of contractors who can travel a long distance between jobs to the size of farms these days where often owned land is split and a long distance from the farm buildings.
When you have stopped 5 times or more within 1 kilometre for a speeding tractor it gets a bit much!
I do not have an answer other than we need to increase the price of food and stop destruction of the countryside, but there is never a good time to further increase food prices and certainly not now.
Importing food so that we cause destruction elsewhere is also not a sustainable view.
I think all that is off topic however.

[Cugel]

The annual usage figures seems very low.
Farming is a big industry and whilst it's annoying to have to pull over to let one of these huge machines pass I remind myself we all depend on farmers to feed us. Food is better produced locally than shipped half way round the world.

Agreed - apart from the bit about it being annoying to have to pull over for the "huge machines". Why is it annoying to let a tractor pass? Personally I just enjoy the view and give the driver a cheery wave. On the other hand, I'm a retired olephart just enjoying hisself, whilst the poor tractor driver is having to work, possibly from dawn to dusk.

Although there are a few young-farmer tractor-hooners here and there, I find the great majority of farming equipment drivers (a large majority of the traffic here in West Wales) to be well-mannered and considerate. But that may just be the general West Welsh zeitgeist, which seems to have remained rather more community-minded than the mad individualista mental outlook of many to the east, where thrusting consumers are very intent indeed on "living my one life" in a fashion that's rather less than sociable. "Gerrouttamyway"!

Cugel, thinking about subscribing to Tractor Weekly. (Everyone else does 'round here).

[basingstoke123]

Probably because the few officers assigned to cover large rural areas have more important priorities.

A complaint in rural areas is that the police seem uninterested in rural crime. And officers are probably more interest in (high performance sports) cars than much more expensive tractors. I'm sure most police would be are to recognise the make of a £50k car, but a £100k tractor? "It had big wheels!" - even though most tractor brands are helpfully colour coded! E.G.: green - probably John Deere or Deutz or less common Fendt.

Number plates - I have always thought it strange that tractors only need one plate, and that is only on the back, which is most likely to be obscured by implements or trailers.

Any change in regulations will take decades to work through the population of tractors in use. A 30 year old tractor still has commercial value (and theft value).

[francovendee]

The annual usage figures seems very low.
Farming is a big industry and whilst it's annoying to have to pull over to let one of these huge machines pass I remind myself we all depend on farmers to feed us. Food is better produced locally than shipped half way round the world.

Agreed - apart from the bit about it being annoying to have to pull over for the "huge machines". Why is it annoying to let a tractor pass? Personally I just enjoy the view and give the driver a cheery wave. On the other hand, I'm a retired olephart just enjoying hisself, whilst the poor tractor driver is having to work, possibly from dawn to dusk.

Although there are a few young-farmer tractor-hooners here and there, I find the great majority of farming equipment drivers (a large majority of the traffic here in West Wales) to be well-mannered and considerate. But that may just be the general West Welsh zeitgeist, which seems to have remained rather more community-minded than the mad individualista mental outlook of many to the east, where thrusting consumers are very intent indeed on "living my one life" in a fashion that's rather less than sociable. "Gerrouttamyway"!

Cugel, thinking about subscribing to Tractor Weekly. (Everyone else does 'round here).

The annoyance creeps in when you let the tractor pass and you then ride through clouds of dust. Not good for these ancient lungs.

[mattsccm]

I must admit to be struggling with the quoting what have you in this thread but I am wondering what it is all about. Tractors only need a rear plate. Thus all is well. End of problem surely?