New VR test aims to boost road safety for tractor drivers
A new virtual reality (VR) hazard perception test has been developed to address the training gap for tractor drivers, aiming to reduce road incidents involving agricultural vehicles.
By Helen Breese | Published on 24 February 2025
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Social Sciences;
Farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK according to accident rates, yet agricultural-related fatalities would increase by more than 50% if on-road fatalities with agricultural vehicles were included in the statistics.
This can be part attributed to limited regulation whereby anyone can drive a tractor on public roads after passing only a basic car test, while 16-year-olds are also able to take a cursory test using their provisional licence which allows them to drive a tractor – including to and from the test site unaccompanied.
To fill this training gap, psychologists at Nottingham Trent University have been supported by The Road Safety Trust, Esitu Solutions, and the Farm Safety Foundation to design and produce a tractor-specific hazard test which assesses agricultural drivers’ ability to identify and avoid hazards in the road ahead.
The researchers first conducted a survey with 158 farmers who reported facing frequent hazards such as other-driver risk taking, including inappropriate overtaking; concerns over vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians; problems with the environment, including overgrown foliage and potholes; and tractor-specific hazards related to the design of tractors and their stopping distances and turning arcs.
The second part of the study used the survey results to create and evaluate a VR hazard assessment using clips of 360-degree footage from real road situations - captured using front, side and rear-view cameras attached to the bonnet and mirrors of a tractor.
It was trialled with 109 tractor drivers and 38 car drivers, measuring awareness across three aspects; hazard perception, requiring participants to press a button as soon as they see a developing hazard; hazard prediction, as a hazard begins to develop participants are asked “What happens next?”; and hazard avoidance, the clip stops at a critical decision point and participants are asked “What should you do next?”.
The trials showed particularly low levels of hazard perception compared to hazard prediction, while tractor drivers who reported being involved in previous collisions performed worse on the hazard prediction element. Car drivers also outperformed tractor drivers on this metric.
Professor David Crundall, lead researcher and Professor of Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said: “It is concerning that there is no test which focuses solely on tractors. Regardless of the facts that they are much heavier than cars and they handle very differently, the position of the driver creates different blind spots to those of a car, and the hazards that drivers face can be very specific to tractors.
“This is a significant blind spot in road safety, despite the statistics showing that agricultural vehicles pose a real risk on rural roads. We hope that this test is the start of a wider commitment to provide support and resources for tractor drivers to improve safety for all road users.”
Following feedback from agricultural colleges and young farmer clubs, the next stage of the study hopes to develop the test into a teaching resource for young tractor drivers to prevent habitual bad practices and risky attitudes to driving in general.
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “Prior to this project, there has been precious little in terms of specialised training for tractor drivers. In fact, anyone can drive a tractor on public roads after passing only a basic car test, despite the significant number of complexities involved.
“Perhaps that is why the creation of this intervention has shown particularly low levels of hazard perception among tractor drivers, especially those who report having already been involved in a collision.
“Those findings demonstrate the importance of this intervention, which The Road Safety Trust hopes will help to reduce collisions involving these types of vehicles and improve safety for all road users.”
The full report can be found on The Road Safety Trust website.
The test is currently available via an app loaded on to VR headsets, distributed by NTU spin-off company, Esitu Solutions. For further information contact info@esitusolutions.com
Farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK according to accident rates, yet agricultural-related fatalities would increase by more than 50% if on-road fatalities with agricultural vehicles were included in the statistics.
This can be part attributed to limited regulation whereby anyone can drive a tractor on public roads after passing only a basic car test, while 16-year-olds are also able to take a cursory test using their provisional licence which allows them to drive a tractor – including to and from the test site unaccompanied.
To fill this training gap, psychologists at Nottingham Trent University have been supported by The Road Safety Trust, Esitu Solutions, and the Farm Safety Foundation to design and produce a tractor-specific hazard test which assesses agricultural drivers’ ability to identify and avoid hazards in the road ahead.
The researchers first conducted a survey with 158 farmers who reported facing frequent hazards such as other-driver risk taking, including inappropriate overtaking; concerns over vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians; problems with the environment, including overgrown foliage and potholes; and tractor-specific hazards related to the design of tractors and their stopping distances and turning arcs.
The second part of the study used the survey results to create and evaluate a VR hazard assessment using clips of 360-degree footage from real road situations - captured using front, side and rear-view cameras attached to the bonnet and mirrors of a tractor.
It was trialled with 109 tractor drivers and 38 car drivers, measuring awareness across three aspects; hazard perception, requiring participants to press a button as soon as they see a developing hazard; hazard prediction, as a hazard begins to develop participants are asked “What happens next?”; and hazard avoidance, the clip stops at a critical decision point and participants are asked “What should you do next?”.
The trials showed particularly low levels of hazard perception compared to hazard prediction, while tractor drivers who reported being involved in previous collisions performed worse on the hazard prediction element. Car drivers also outperformed tractor drivers on this metric.
Professor David Crundall, lead researcher and Professor of Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said: “It is concerning that there is no test which focuses solely on tractors. Regardless of the facts that they are much heavier than cars and they handle very differently, the position of the driver creates different blind spots to those of a car, and the hazards that drivers face can be very specific to tractors.
“This is a significant blind spot in road safety, despite the statistics showing that agricultural vehicles pose a real risk on rural roads. We hope that this test is the start of a wider commitment to provide support and resources for tractor drivers to improve safety for all road users.”
Following feedback from agricultural colleges and young farmer clubs, the next stage of the study hopes to develop the test into a teaching resource for young tractor drivers to prevent habitual bad practices and risky attitudes to driving in general.
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “Prior to this project, there has been precious little in terms of specialised training for tractor drivers. In fact, anyone can drive a tractor on public roads after passing only a basic car test, despite the significant number of complexities involved.
“Perhaps that is why the creation of this intervention has shown particularly low levels of hazard perception among tractor drivers, especially those who report having already been involved in a collision.
“Those findings demonstrate the importance of this intervention, which The Road Safety Trust hopes will help to reduce collisions involving these types of vehicles and improve safety for all road users.”
The full report can be found on The Road Safety Trust website.
The test is currently available via an app loaded on to VR headsets, distributed by NTU spin-off company, Esitu Solutions. For further information contact info@esitusolutions.com
Professor David Crundall explains the reasons for the new test
Notes for Editors
Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Public Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email.
About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK.
It is the 3rd best modern university in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023). Students have voted NTU 1st in the UK for student employability (Uni Compare 2025)
NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with over 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across six campuses. It has an international student population of almost 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The first recognises NTU’s research on the safety and security of global citizens. The second was awarded for research in science, engineering, arts and humanities to investigate and restore cultural objects, buildings and heritage. The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded GOLD in the national 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment, as it was in 2019.
NTU is a top 10 for sport (British Universities and Colleges Sport league table 2023).
NTU is the most environmentally sustainable university in the UK and second in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2023).
About The Road Safety Trust
The Road Safety Trust is dedicated to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads.
To achieve this, The Road Safety Trust provides funding for practical measures, research, dissemination, and education.
We work with others to use the wealth of knowledge and understanding about what works to keep road safety high on the national and local agenda and influence policy change.
We share new knowledge from research and practical interventions across the road safety and wider community to raise awareness and encourage implementation.
For more information visit: https://www.roadsafetytrust.org.uk