Blog entry: Four-wheelers, Hunters, Land Rover Lovers, All Off-Roaders: Beware of Gates!

Gate pierces truck - pole gates can be a serious danger.  Check out these pictures.  I am not sure of the original source - these came from the AZ Land Rover's Owners Group email list.  It just goes to show four-wheeling hazards come at you from all directions.

Recent vehicle incident...PLEASE BE ALERTED TO POTENTIAL POLE GATE HAZARDS AT OTHER LOCATIONS - see pics below:

While leaving a private landowner’s ranch, an outside lease operator was approaching the landowner’s cattle guard and swinging pole gate. The rusted pole gate blended in with the overgrown brush, which made it difficult for him to see the gate.

As he approached going 5-10 mph, the pole gate pierced the driver’s side front corner of his vehicle just outside of the lights and went into his cab at the driver location. His vehicle stopped short and direct contact with the employee was only missed by a few inches.

We are very fortunate and thankful that our employee was not injured.

This incident will drive home the need to ensure that all pole gates are made as safe as possible with bright paint/ reflectors and/or boxed ends and removing brush as needed. This is something we generally inspect and address at our locations during safety reviews. We should also think about privately owned gates through which our families / employees travel. If hazards exist, we should consider volunteering to the landowners to at least add bright paint/reflectors and/or boxed ends for everyone’s safety.

From the pictures, the sun appears to be in front of him, possibly causing a glare. This would also make it very difficult to see the gate.

Beware of the gates on our mountain sometimes they are not tied back and the wind will blow them into the roadway and you only see them end on.

Most of us have probably opened and closed gates just like this before... ...lots of times.

I never would have thought about it before though.

Looks like the brush guard may have actually helped slow it down or stop it.

Pretty good share for all the hunters out there or if you just travel off road on occasion.

One can never be too careful in this life.

Kind of rams home the message when you note exactly where the end of the gate ended up (-: