A failure to legislate against the use of tractors by drivers who have no formal training, is putting the lives of motorists at risk, the Irish Road Haulage Association has said.
The Association criticised the government for allowing 16-year-olds to drive a tractors and trailers weighing more than 30 tonnes without a driving test.
It also identified Ireland as one of the only countries where road-worthiness tests are not required for most agricultural vehicles.
Highlighting the rise in farm vehicles for non-farming activities such as haulage, Association president Vincent Caulfield said: “Ireland is the only EU country which permits the use of off-road agricultural tractors as haulage vehicles even though they do not meet any of the necessary standards to perform safely on public roads”.
“Every HGV on the road is subject to stringent weight restrictions and an annual road test but tractors can haul any load without adhering to the same safety requirements,” he added.