Farm equipment, like John Deere tractors, are an increasingly critical component of farm life, helping farmers to harvest their crops with greater ease and efficiency. To ensure that they are used correctly and safely, New Hampshire became the third state to institute a new rebate program that will give farmers easier access to farm safety equipment.
The rebate program, dubbed the Rollover Protection System, or ROPS, will reimburse farmers 70 percent of the cost of their tractor rollover protection kit, which often include a roll bar and seatbelt, with total savings around $800. Sandy Solo, a local farmer, asserts that the rebate program will allow her to retrofit her used tractor, noting that the program will "help people do what they need to do for their tractors."
While tragically, some farmers suffer injuries from tractor accidents, statisticians at John Deere estimate that 99 percent of the accidents are preventable if the machinery is outfitted with a roll bar and a seatbelt, and nearly 70 percent are avoidable if only a roll bar is installed. Terry Robinson, president of R.N. Johnson, asserts that a roll bar will "keep you from being ejected from the tractor" in the event of a rollover.
The rebate program will help the state to reduce accidents involving farm equipment and ensure the safety of its farmers.