These messages can be used as
public service announcements (PSAs) on local radio stations. They also can be
presented as a series of short articles in local newspapers, newsletters, or
posted on bulletin boards. The messages are more effective when they are
disseminated in many ways over a period of months, and because the messages
describe actual injury events and real people, they are interesting and
informative.
Using these messages effectively in your
community requires working with many groups that provide services and advice to
farmers. These include local radio stations, newspapers, extension services,
farm equipment dealers, teachers, health-care workers, local businesses and
local employers. Contact leaders from each of these groups; show them some of
the messages. Ask them in what ways they can help to get these messages out to
farmers in your community. If many groups work together, the messages can be
easily and inexpensively disseminated throughout the community.
Each PSA is numbered and has a title. The names and titles appear in the table of contents. However, because there are 80 PSA messages it is difficult to find a particular type of message that may be of special interest. For this reason, Table 1 lists the PSAs by 15 categories. To locate PSAs of interest, scan the category column in Table 1. Then look up the PSA numbers that are listed for that category. Sometimes individual PSAs are listed in more than one category.
A number and a brief title list each of the 80 public service announcements. These numbers and titles are used to identify and locate messages listed by the categories found in Table 1 on the previous page.
A
ROPS is a specially made roll bar for a tractor. ROPS stands for Rollover
Protective Structure. During an overturn a ROPS keeps the tractor from crushing
the tractor driver. In the last ten years, 18 South Carolina farmers died when
their tractors overturned on top of them. They could have lived if their
tractors had ROPS and if they had worn the seat belts. ROPS are available for
most tractors at cost from local tractor dealers. Call your equipment dealer
today, get a ROPS and buckle up.
Why take chances, when all it
takes is a little time and money to protect you from becoming another farm
injury statistic. Get a Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) and seat belt on
your tractor! Think of it as a one-time payment on a whole life insurance
policy for you and everyone who drives your tractor. ROPS are available for
most tractors at cost from local tractor dealers.
It’s a fact. Without a ROPS
on your tractor, you or someone in your family could be killed or seriously
injured during an overturn. Usually a ROPS costs less than $3 a day for one
year, and ROPS for some tractors are even less expensive. See your local
tractor dealer today and get a ROPS and seat belt on your tractor. If you
don’t, an overturn can turn your family’s life upside down.
Fact! Rollover Protective Structures are not as
expensive as you think. For most tractors, you can get a ROPS from your local
equipment dealer for about $800, including shipping and installation. That's
only $2.20 a day for a year! Cheap, isn't it ... compared to your health and
life. And a ROPS lasts as long as the life of the tractor! If you don’t take
time to get a ROPS for your tractor, and you have an overturn, you may never
again have the time or money to protect yourself and your family.
I didn’t think we needed
ROPS. Then one day my wife was bringing home a full hay wagon. As she swung
wide and pulled onto the road from the field, the rear wheel dropped off the
culvert and the tractor flipped upside down in the ditch. The tractor tire came
down inches from her head. She was wet and dirty but not hurt. The next day I
went to town and ordered ROPS and seat belts for both our tractors. She loves
farming too much to quit driving, and I love her too much to lose her.
The six messages that follow are a related series that
tell an interesting story about a farm family. Each message in the sequence is
written so that it (a) will stand alone if a person hears only that message,
and (b) will motivate the listener to be alert for the rest of the story. Using
the messages as a series makes them more memorable because together they tell a
story that unfolds over time. The series can be used as advertising messages
where commercial statements like; "At ______________ Tractor &
Equipment Company we care about you and your family!" can be added at the
end of each message.
Although the events in each of these six messages are
based on real cases, the messages describe a hypothetical family. Generally it
is more effective if messages like these are about a real family (which is the
case with most of the stories in this PSA series).
Jim and Lisa own a 140-acre
farm. They have two tractors, neither with a Rollover Protective Structure, or
what is called a ROPS. They worry about their 16-year old son, Jake, who drives
the tractors nearly every day. They have meant to get a ROPS on at least one
tractor but haven't gotten around to it. Then, Jake's friend, a 14-year old boy
in the next county, was killed when he rolled a tractor without a ROPS. If you
were Jim and Lisa, what would you do?
After a friend of their son
was killed in a tractor rollover in a neighboring county, Jim and Lisa decided
to get a ROPS on one of their two tractors. They didn’t want their 16-year old
son Jake to be hurt or killed if he overturned a tractor. They went to their
local farm equipment dealer and learned that their 1978 tractor could be fitted
with a ROPS for only $830. They got their ROPS. Now they sleep better at night.
Two months after Jim and Lisa
had a ROPS installed on their 1978 tractor, Jim was bush hogging a pasture. As
he mowed weeds beside a creek, the left front wheel dropped into a hole where
the bank had caved in. In an instant the tractor overturned and landed upside
down in the creek bed. Jim was shaken up, got wet and muddy, but he wasn’t
hurt. The ROPS and his fastened seat belt kept him from being crushed.
After Jim overturned his
tractor in a creek, the local equipment dealer who sold Jim the ROPS, helped
Jim remove the tractor from the creek. The local equipment dealer is also a
member of the local EMS service and has seen many accidents like this. He says
without the ROPS and seat belt Jim would have been crushed and killed. It cost
$1,800 to fix the tractor. But Jim and his family don’t mind. They figure that
without the ROPS it would have cost them his life and the farm.
Jim and Lisa talked to their
extension agent about Jim’s tractor overturn. He told them tractor rollovers
that result in severe injuries or fatalities to farmers result in a loss of the
farm in about one third of these cases. The huge financial and emotional costs,
as well as lost labor, are overwhelming and often end a way of life for the
family.
Jim and Lisa still had one
tractor too old to be retrofitted with a ROPS. They knew it was risky to
continue using this tractor for most jobs. So they talked to their local
equipment dealer and their local banker. Jim and Lisa got a low interest loan
and bought a used 1983 tractor and a ROPS for $11,500. Jim says, “We upgraded
our equipment, helped our production, and invested in our future.”
A recent university study found
that a serious injury from a tractor overturn resulted in medical costs of
$140,000 plus $20,000 in other costs. A Rollover Protective Structure, or ROPS,
and a seat belt for the tractor usually cost around $800. If you don’t have a
ROPS and seat belt on your tractor, and you have an overturn, your family could
suffer a huge financial loss, a serious injury, or death. Order a ROPS and seat
belt from your local equipment dealer today and buckle up!
In 1999, Jonn and his wife
attended a supper hosted by an equipment dealer. They watched a film about
Rollover Protective Structures and seat belts. They decided to purchase a ROPS
and seat belt for their tractor. But before they got around to it, the farmer
was killed when his tractor overturned. Now his wife is raising four kids and
running the farm by herself. Don’t put it off. Check with your equipment dealer
today. Get a ROPS and seat belt on your tractor before it’s too late. Most
dealers offer ROPS at cost, so it may be less expensive than you think.
Up before daylight! Working
hard all day! Doing chores late into the evening! Taking those off-farm jobs to
earn extra money! It’s tough being a farmer these days and it’s dangerous too!
Overturning a tractor without a roll bar can cost you your life and the farm!
But a Rollover Protective Structure, or ROPS, and seat belt can save your life
and your farm! A ROPS and seat belt give you an edge that you and your family
need to stay alive and keep on farming. Get a ROPS and buckle up!
A life insurance policy pays
your survivors when you die. A roll bar on a tractor is called a ROPS or
Rollover Protective Structure. A ROPS is a one-time cost of a few hundred dollars.
It pays off by keeping you and anyone else who drives the tractor alive and
well during a tractor overturn. Don’t cancel your life insurance. You need that
protection. But, if you drive a tractor and it doesn’t have a ROPS, you and
your family are at risk. Call your equipment dealer today. Get a ROPS and
buckle up!
He had driven the same
tractor on the same land for 20 years. He was careful. He never had an
overturn. He thought by being careful he could prevent an overturn. He was
right for most of his life. But this last time he was dead wrong. A ROPS and a
fastened seat belt can't prevent an overturn, but they can prevent injury or
death when a tractor overturns. Tractor overturns do happen. See your tractor
dealer today. Get a ROPS and buckle up.
He didn't come home that
morning or that afternoon either. In fact, he never came home again. His wife
found him that evening when she got home from work and went looking for him.
His head was crushed under the overturned tractor. He didn't think he needed a
ROPS on his tractor. He had never needed one before. He thought that $800 was
too much to pay for the ROPS for his tractor. What do you think?
The instant the tractor
overturned, their lives changed forever. He was a good husband and father. He
loved his wife and kids. They loved him and his way of life as an honest and
hardworking farmer. They need him and miss him so much. He won't see his
children grow up or enjoy retirement with his wife. Things are hard for his
family. It's too late for him and them, but not for you. Get a ROPS and seat
belt on your tractor and buckle up!
Getting around to it! He and
his wife had talked about getting a ROPS and seat belt on their tractor. They
knew it was a good idea. But they were busy, they were short on money, and they
didn't get around to it. Then one day he rolled the tractor. Now she and the
kids are short a husband and father. If you drive tractors without ROPS and
seat belts, you or someone in your family could be hurt or killed. But by
installing a ROPS on your tractor, you can protect your family and yourself.
Bill was returning home on an
old logging road when the tractor slid over a bank and landed upside down. The
ROPS and seat belt kept Bill from being crushed. Uninjured, he walked home.
With only $120 damage, the tractor was back in service the next day. Bill said
he was lucky. His wife said, “No, you were smart because you had a ROPS and you
fastened your seat belt.”
Before you tuck your children
in to bed tonight, another child will be seriously injured or killed on a family
farm. In fact, each year about 300 children die on family farms in the United
States. Children “extra riders” are often injured or killed when they fall off
tractors and are run over. Think about this before you say goodnight to your
children. Next time a child asks you for a ride on the tractor say, “No.” Tell
them that you love them too much to see them hurt or killed.
Did you know that children’s
deaths from farm injuries could be reduced by 50% by forbidding kids as extra
riders on tractors? Be disciplined enough to refuse tractor rides and save your
child’s life. Arranging for childcare during the planting and harvesting
seasons can lower death and injury rates of farm children. Finding childcare
can be difficult, but not as difficult as a child’s funeral.
Because he was young and
strong, Alan always thought he could jump clear of an overturning tractor. One
day he was bushhogging the bank along a farm lane. The next thing he remembered
is crawling away from the upside down tractor. He was OK and the tractor hood
was only dented. He said, “Without the ROPS and seat belt I would have been
killed. There wasn’t enough time to even think about jumping.” Don’t count on
jumping if your tractor overturns. Get a ROPS and seat belt to protect yourself
and your loved ones.
“Seven years
ago I overturned a tractor. I spent 51 days in the hospital, and I’m still
paying off my bills. I was driving downhill on wet ground when the tractor
overturned on top of me. I suffered lots of injuries, including a broken hip
and broken back. I still face daily challenges of holding a job. My advice to
farmers is to put a roll bar on the tractor and use the seat belt. If you
overturn a tractor without a ROPS, you too might be “lucky” like me and survive
with injuries and debts that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
In a recent university
survey, 78% of farm kids between the ages of 9 and 17 said they ride along on
tractors with an adult driver. Children can fall off if the tractor hits a
bump, makes a sudden turn, strikes an object, or is struck by another vehicle.
In the US, about half of all child farm deaths are from children falling off
tractors and being crushed under the tractor wheels or by equipment pulled by
the tractor. If you allow second riders, you risk a terrible tragedy. There are
safer ways to get around on the farm.
Cost of a typical tractor overturn injury: [cha-ching!] $200,000
Average cost of a tractor overturn fatality: [cha-ching!] $1.3 million
Cost of a Rollover Protective
Structure
(ROPS): Usually
between $500 and $1,000
Do the math! Save your money and
your life! Buy a ROPS and seat belt for your tractor. Call your local equipment
dealer today.
The National Safety Council
says that operators of farm tractors can save their lives by equipping tractors
with an approved Rollover Protective Structure or ROPS and by wearing a seat
belt. If your tractor overturns, the ROPS and seat belt will prevent you from
being crushed to death or from being thrown against an object and injured.
Contact your local farm equipment dealer today for information about how to get
a ROPS and seat belt for your tractor.
A Rollover Protective
Structure or ROPS and fastened seat belt are 98% effective in preventing deaths
during tractor overturns. Tractor manufacturers have special programs so a ROPS
can be obtained for nearly all tractors manufactured since 1970 and for many
older models as well. The National Safety Council urges you to contact your
local farm equipment dealer today for information about a ROPS for your
tractor.
Who pays for these public
service announcements about how ROPS and seat belts save lives and money? Your
local radio station donates the time! And many farm folks helped write these messages
for free by telling their stories about tractor overturns. Do equipment dealers
make money by selling ROPS? No! They sell ROPS at cost because they care about
farmers and their families. Who pays when a farmer is killed in a tractor
overturn? All of us, because we feel the pain of losing a family member or
friend, have higher insurance costs and lost income in the community.
The National Safety Council
encourages parents and guardians of children to voluntarily prohibit children
from riding on farm tractors. Children and adults riding on a tractor can be
severely injured or killed if they fall off the tractor. Say no to extra riders
and yes to a safe future.
Farm equipment often travels
on rural roads. Suppose you pop over a hill and find a slow-moving vehicle
directly ahead of you? Even with split-second reactions, you may not be able to
stop in time. At 55 mph, your vehicle is traveling 81 feet per second! That’s
the length of a football field in less than four seconds. Two thirds of all the
people who die in farm tractor and automobile collisions are the people in the
cars. When you drive in rural areas, slow down, be prepared, and drive defensively!
If you’re a farmer, be sure your tractor has a ROPS and buckle up.
It was a good road and the
weather was beautiful. He came around the bend at 60 mph and saw the back of
the hay wagon 400 feet ahead of him in his lane. In less than five seconds he
caught up to the hay wagon and started to pass. Just then the tractor turned
left into a farm road. There was a tremendous crash as his car hit the tractor.
Both he and the tractor driver died on the spot. Eighty percent of all tractor
and motor vehicle crashes like this one happen in broad daylight in good
weather. When you drive in farm country, be alert and slow down. The life you
save may be your own.
A farmer got off the tractor
to check on the disc harrow. He left his 3-year old son in the cab with the
engine running. His wife, carrying her 1-year old child, had just brought lunch
for her husband. Horrified, she watched as the tractor jumped into gear and ran
over his legs as he tried to get up into the cab to stop the tractor. She tried
to pull her husband out of the way, but he, she, and the 1-year old child were
run over by the disc harrow and cut to pieces. The 3-year old in the cab
survived. Don’t let your children ride or play on tractors!
He
was driving his tractor like he did everyday. In less than two seconds, the
cab-equipped tractor rolled completely over 3 times. The ROPS kept him from
being crushed to death, but his legs were broken when he slammed against the
inside of the operator’s compartment. His medical bills were $50,000 and he
couldn’t work for 9 months. The ROPS saved his life. The seat belt could have
saved him lots of pain and lots of money. Call your local equipment dealer today.
Order a ROPS and buckle up!
A
farmer was traveling on a county highway hauling a wagon load of shelled corn
with a large diesel tractor. A car traveling 60 mph in the oncoming lane
suddenly swerved and struck the tractor head-on. The tractor rolled over and
split in half. The farmer unbuckled his seat belt and crawled out, uninjured
except for a small cut over his left eye. The ROPS and seat belt saved his
life. The person in the car was killed. Call your local equipment dealer today.
Order a ROPS and buckle up!
Deadly
highway collisions between farm tractors and motor vehicles are increasing nationwide.
In two-thirds of these fatal cases, the motor vehicle occupants are killed. But
one third of the deaths are to the tractor operator. During a highway
collision, ROPS and seat belts have been shown to save tractor operator’s
lives. Get a ROPS and buckle up!
An
experienced young farmer was mowing the side of a road with a rotary mower. His
tractor had a ROPS, but he was not wearing his seat belt. The right front wheel
of the tractor hit the edge of a drainage culvert. The farmer was thrown off
the tractor and run over by the mower. The tractor remained upright and was not
damaged. The farmer died on the operating table two hours later, leaving his
wife and three children. Protect yourself and your family. Order a ROPS from
your local equipment dealer today and always wear your seat belt!