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1. Hand hold and hip restraint
Never allow passengers in the bed or on any attachments.
The vehicle is meant to have one driver and only one
passenger—no more.
Ensuring Proper Speed
Speed is one of the most important variables leading to
accidents. Driving too fast for the conditions can cause you
to lose control and have an accident. Speed can also make a
minor accident worse. Driving head on into a tree at slow
speed can cause injury and damage, but, driving into a tree
at high speed can destroy the vehicle and kill you and your
passenger.
Never drive too fast for the conditions. If there is any doubt
about how fast to drive, slow down.
When using heavy attachments, more than 454 kg (1000 lb),
such as sprayers, top dressers, or spreaders, etc., restrict your
operating speed by moving the 3rd high lockout switch to
the slow position.
Ensuring Proper Turning
Turning is another important variable leading to accidents.
Turning too sharply for the conditions can cause the vehicle
to lose traction and skid, or even tip over.
Wet, sandy, and slippery surfaces make turning more difficult
and risky. The faster you are going, the worse this situation
becomes so, slow down before turning.
During a sharp turn at higher speeds, the inside rear wheel
may lift off of the ground. This is not a flaw in the design, it
happens with most four-wheel machine including passenger
cars. If this happens, you are turning too sharply for the speed
at which you are traveling. Slow down!
Figure 21
Ensuring Proper Braking
It is good practice to slow down before you get near an
obstacle. This gives you extra time to stop or turn away.
Hitting an obstacle can damage the machine and its contents.
More important, it can injure you and your passenger. Gross
machine weight has a major impact on your ability to stop
and/or turn. Heavier loads and heavier attachments make
a vehicle harder to stop or turn. The heavier the load, the
longer it takes to stop.
The braking characteristics also change with no bed or
attachment on the machine. Fast stops may cause the rear
wheels to lock up before the front wheels lock up, which may
affect the control of the machine. It is a good idea to decrease
machine speed with no bed or attachment.
Turf and pavement are much slipperier when they are wet.
It can take 2 to 4 times as long to stop on wet surfaces as
on dry surfaces.
If you drive through standing water deep enough to get the
brakes wet, they will not work well until they are dry. After
driving through water, you should test the brakes to make
sure they work properly. If they do not, drive slowly in first
gear while putting light pressure on the brake pedal. This
will dry the brakes out.
Do not downshift for braking on icy or slippery surfaces (wet
grass) or while going down a hill because engine braking
may cause skidding and loss of control. Shift to a lower gear
before starting down a hill.
Preventing Tip Overs
The vehicle is equipped with a roll bar, hip restraints, seat
belts, and hand hold. The ROPS system (Rollover Protection
System) used on the vehicle will reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injury in the unlikely event of a tip over, although the
system cannot protect the operator from all possible injuries.
Replace a damaged ROPS, do not repair or revise. Any
alteration of the ROPS must be approved by the manufacturer.
The best way to prevent accidents involving utility vehicles
is through continuous supervision and training of operators
and paying constant attention to the area in which vehicle
is being operated.
The best way for operators to prevent serious injury or death
to themselves or others, is to familiarize themselves with the
proper operation of the utility vehicle, to stay alert and to
avoid actions or conditions which could result in a accident.
In the event of a tip over, the risk of serious injury or death
will be reduced if the operator is using the ROPS system and
seat belts and is following the instructions provided.
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