Avoiding A Bush Hog Tractor Accident

I am sure the tractor operator never saw this coming. One respondent on a Facebook group (All Things Tractors) commented she lost two family members in tractor accidents! I personally backed into a hog wallow and found myself with a front tire in the air. As I backed the brush hog into the dense vegetation it covered the hole and I never saw it. Fortunately the hole was not as deep as the one in the picture.

There are many ways to have a bush hog tractor accident. Everyone is bound to have an accident if you do enough of this type of work. The goal is to minimize the damage and remain safe when it happens. One of the easiest ways to avoid a tractor accident is to work slowly. Bush hogging in 3rd gear on an unfamiliar land clearing job is a sure way to end up in big trouble. By going slowly you have time to observe the ground and respond. If you have a tractor accident, the slower you are traveling, the less likely it is to be fatal or costly. 

If you have an accident, you will need to be able to get help. If you are not on your land, you will need to be able to identify your location so people can find you.

A free mobile app like PubSafe is a good tool because it shares your location on a map and alerts other members nearby which may be able to respond faster than emergency services if close by. A mobile app requires cellular coverage which may not always be available. When out of cellular coverage, a CB radio like the Midland 75-822 is a good option provided you have setup a safety plan with your location and have someone to call.