Mowing in reverse

[Clint S]

Sorry , but I am going to post this in a few spots. I work in a level one trauma hospital and we have had 4 kids in the past 2 years have traumatic amputations by getting run over by a parent mowing in reverse. If you disable your mow in reverse feature PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep turned around and look before you go. It only takes a few seconds. Do not take for granted there are no kids around, neighbors and visitors can come over and due to the noise you may net hear them.

 

[Victory Pete]

Sorry , but I am going to post this in a few spots. I work in a level one trauma hospital and we have had 4 kids in the past 2 years have traumatic amputations by getting run over by a parent mowing in reverse. If you disable your mow in reverse feature PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep turned around and look before you go. It only takes a few seconds. Do not take for granted there are no kids around, neighbors and visitors can come over and due to the noise you may net hear them.

That is sad to hear. How is the pull lever suppose to stop accidents? It doest make you turn around to look.

VP

 

[buickanddeere]

Won't matter. All the person's here trying to figure out how to over ride a safety system say they are way too smart to ever have a wreck, injury or incident. There are no accidents.

 

[aczlan]

Won't matter. All the person's here trying to figure out how to over ride a safety system say they are way too smart to ever have a wreck, injury or incident. There are no accidents.

Please explain how having to hold up a lever in front of me before backing up will cause me to watch behind me? It wont.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR USING YOUR BRAIN. I know people who CANNOT look back while holding the lever up (my mother in law has 2 fused vertebrae, she can look back, but not while holding the lever up).
I could see a pair of switches on the fenders so that you turn and push one of them, that would force you to at least think about what is behind you unlike a switch IN FRONT OF YOU.

Aaron Z

 

[buickanddeere]

Please explain how having to hold up a lever in front of me before backing up will cause me to watch behind me? It wont.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR USING YOUR BRAIN. I know people who CANNOT look back while holding the lever up (my mother in law has 2 fused vertebrae, she can look back, but not while holding the lever up).
I could see a pair of switches on the fenders so that you turn and push one of them, that would force you to at least think about what is behind you unlike a switch IN FRONT OF YOU.

Aaron Z

So how do so many people get backed over with a running mower?

 

[SandburRanch]

Quote: aczlan - THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR USING YOUR BRAIN

So how do so many people get backed over with a running mower?

If those accidents were investigated more in depth the root cause could probably be determined.

When alcohol is involved, in general, a human doesn't have a brain.

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

My tractor never had a feature to disable the mower when reversing... but I WILL NOT mow the front lawn unless the grandkids are in the back yard, etc. Even then I'm always watching for foreign objects that could be launched hundreds of feet by the blades.
Then I see my next door neighbour mowing on his John Deere 216 with his granddaughter riding on a fender and his grandson riding on the hitch, hanging on to the back of the seat. Again this John Deere mows in reverse. This is a seemingly intelligent, educated man. I just cringe when I see that.
You just can't FORCE people to use common sense.

Pete

 

[aczlan]

So how do so many people get backed over with a running mower?

People dont use their brain to think through the consequences of what they do (ie: mowing when kids are in the yard, giving kids a ride while mowing, etc) OR people not paying attention to the task at hand and backing up without looking behind them.
There is no way to make a mower safe if you are not watching what the deck is about to mow over no matter HOW many "safety" features you install.

Aaron Z

 

[NorTracNY]

You just can't FORCE people to use common sense.

Pete

Sadly government will just make a law about it. Education is important, you can't legislate intelligence.

 

[mguitas]

This club cadet has reverse mowing. If you back up the blades will stop. Put on reverse mowing the blades keep going.

 

[bigdeano]

Seems like with a mid or front mount mower you'd have to back over someone before the mower hit them. Maybe you wouldn't be able to stop in time though when you felt the bump. I back up with my 6' rear brushhog sometimes, but there's never anyone else around. I always look back when I go in reverse. I hate to think what it would do to someone.

 

[cdaigle430]

My Husqvarna has the option to enable reverse mowing on the ignition. I need it activated because I do alot of backing up. When I do backup I am always looking or I only backup about a foot to change directions.

 

[pat32rf]

My Polaris ATV has a reverse "safety" switch. Its impossible to back up while turned around and still hold the switch. Since had an auxillary toggle switch added to the cowling. Now I can even back up with a boat trailer hooked on AND watch where I'm going.....

 

[Gator6x4]

Sadly government will just make a law about it. Education is important, you can't legislate intelligence.

I don't think any government, Federal, State or Local is going to make a law on reverse mowing with a mower. I do think the manufactures will go to some lengths to place a wall between themselves and the owners of mowers when it comes to being a party to a civil liability trial.

Quote: aczlan - THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR USING YOUR BRAIN

If those accidents were investigated more in depth the root cause could probably be determined.

When alcohol is involved, in general, a human doesn't have a brain.

I don't think a more indepth investigation is needed. The cause is very simple and well known, a nut was loose between the steering wheel and the seat.

 

[slowzuki]

Why would you mow with kids (or anyone) around? Asking to eat a projectile.
Why would you back up without looking? Never mind the mower, a tractor running over a kid isn't going to end well for the kid.