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Design and Implementation of Model Agricultural Tractors for the Use of Safety Education

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  055005,  2005 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.19915) @2005
Authors:   Brian Hoover, Dwayne Driskill
Keywords:   Agricultural tractor safety, PTO entanglement safety, tractor rollover safety, farm tractor accident prevention through tractor safety demonstration, seatbelt safety, front-end loader safety, three-point hitch implement safety

According to the National Safety Council an average of 500 to 600 farmers are killed every year in the United States from tractor accidents. Death rate in Kentucky has been 300% above the national average. Because of this high death rate a need was seen and a goal made to develop a tractor safety demonstration to aid education of children and adults in farming communities about hazards associated with farm tractors.

Pedal tractors were used because many farm families would identify with these models and would get attention of children as well as adults, especially when observed units were remote control. By using two tractors made by Ertl, electric motors from Mattel , and vehicle power window motors, the task at hand was to make these tractors mobile and to make motors, frame, and related parts fit inside tractors. Several modifications were necessary to equip tractors to present accidents. To maintain appearance of the tractor, changes were made to be hidden after final assembly.

Capabilities of these remote controlled tractors include: forward and reverse movement, steering left and right, loader raise up and down, three point hitch up and down, PTO on and off, head lights and warning lights on and off. Other special accessories added were a foldable ROPS and SMV emblem. These models will be used to educate people in agricultural safety classes at Murray State University School of Agriculture as well as traveling the state of Kentucky in safety programs conducted by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

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