TOKYO, Feb. 27 — A total of 164 farmers died in accidents that involved farm vehicles such as tractors on public roads between 2013 and 2017 in Japan, with elderly farmers most at risk group, according to a report by the police department.
On average, around 33 fatal on-road accidents involved farm vehicles occur each year.
Of those, 90 percent of fatalities were people aged over 60, and 80 percent of accident patterns were single-vehicle crashes, the report said.
There was a sharp rise of accidents in April, May and September, as farm vehicles had to travel on rural roads during planting and harvest time, it added.
Finding support for elderly farmers is something that needs to be addressed at a challenging time for farming in Japan, due to an ageing farmer population and intensified competitions through free trade agreements.
The police department will soon provide better safety instructions, particularly among elderly farmers, by promoting the wearing of seat belts and ensuring a cab or safety frame is fitted on tractors.
Farming is among the most dangerous occupations in Japan, with a fatality rate of 16.2 per 100,000 farmers — exceeding hazardous jobs such as those in the construction sector with a death-rate of 6 per 100,000 workers.