As slurry spreading season is now fully underway, gardaí have issued a safety appeal to farmers, contractors and road users.

The closed period for slurry spreading has come to an end across the country as the counties, located in Zone C, were permitted to spread organic fertiliser (both slurry and farm yard manure) from Saturday (February 1).

As a result, gardaí have said that there is likely to be an increase in the volume of agricultural vehicles using the roads.

Gardaí in Co. Meath issued an appeal for anyone travelling behind a tractor or other slow moving vehicle, to be patient and not be tempted to overtake in a dangerous manner.

They urged road users to "always be on the look out for farm machinery exiting fields and farm yards".

Officers also extended the safety message to farmers, asking if they become aware of traffic building up behind them to keep left when it is safe to do so in order to allow others to pass.

They also said that farmers should should never use or hold a mobile phone while driving agricultural machinery on public roads.

Gardaí issued the following reminders to drivers of agricultural vehicles:

Wash down all wheels regularly to avoid carrying mud and stones onto the public road;
Be particularly careful when transporting material such as silage, slurry, sand and gravel so that it does not spill on the road and pose a risk to other road users;
Do not overload trailers in a manner that would cause them to be unstable on the road;
Look out for low bridges, overhanging trees, overhead cables and uneven road surfaces which could cause the load to shift and possibly overturn;
The driving mirror must always provide an adequate view of the road and all agricultural vehicles must have proper working brakes on both tractor and trailer units. All agricultural vehicles must be fitted with lights, reflectors and indicators;
Large farming vehicles should consider using an escort vehicle to warn other road users and ensure that tractors are driven at an appropriate speed for the road conditions;
Never let an inexperienced driver use machinery;
Ensure that equipment/machinery has been serviced properly and is in good working order;
Be careful when using equipment which you may not have used for some time;
Do not “risk it” - if you do not know how to use the equipment get someone to advise you or find out how to use it safely.

Finally, gardaí said that children should always be supervised on farms and visitors that may not be familiar with a farm environment should be accompanied.