March 15, 2001

Toddlers and Tractors Don’t Mix, Farm Safety Specialist Stresses

Every year, one or two toddlers are maimed or killed as a result of riding in a tractor or combine cab in North Dakota.

"The disastrous event affects the entire family, affecting some family members forever," says George Maher, an agricultural safety specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. "These are needless tragedies. They are completely preventable."

Maher notes that there are no safe facilities for toddlers in a tractor cab. "Some newer tractors and combines have a second seat in the cab as an instructor’s or advisor’s seat, but it is not intended for a youngster to spend the afternoon in," he says. "Other tractors and combines don’t have additional seating, and sitting in dad’s lap isn’t going to work for very long. There simply isn’t a safe place for an active youngster in the cab."

Toddlers find it difficult to sit still for very long and tractor or combine drivers don’t have the time to watch over toddlers while driving a tractor, Maher says. "Supervision gets to be a real problem, for everyone. In most tragic situations, the youngster has been riding along for an hour or two when a tense moment develops for the driver. As his attention is diverted to what he is doing with the machinery, the youngster plays with the cab door. When it unexpectedly opens, the child falls from the cab and is run over."

These accidents happen in a split second and don’t allow time for the driver to react, Maher notes. Toddlers move too fast to watch while driving a tractor or combine.

"As the accident happens, time seems to pass very slowly," Maher notes. "And it will be replayed many times in the mind of the driver for years to come."

There are alternatives for baby sitting. The choices aren’t always easy, but it is always easier than reliving the tragedy that can otherwise result, Maher says. Because of the potentially extreme risk and painful result, the toddler should never be near the machinery.

What are the alternatives for a busy farm family? Keep the youngster at home under close supervision as usual. Is there another immediate family member who can babysit? How about grandparents, or aunts and uncles? Can a cousin babysit? Is there someone close by who does childcare? If farmsteads aren’t too far apart, can babysitting be rotated among neighbors?

"In some cases, imagination is needed," Maher notes. "But there are possibilities. Look for them and check them out. Farm families need to coordinate the supervision of their most valuable possession, their children. Safe family farming is a family activity. Everyone is involved. Some operate machinery, others work with livestock, but toddlers and youngsters should not be exposed to risk. Managed safely, they will have their time to help out with the business of agriculture."

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Source: George Maher, (701) 231-8288, gmaher@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu