Version 1
: Received: 30 August 2024 / Approved: 2 September 2024 / Online: 2 September 2024 (16:58:19 CEST)
How to cite:
Einarsdóttir, J.; Gunnlaugsson, G. Child Fatalities in Tractor-Related Agricultural Incidents in Iceland 1918–2024: A Historical Analysis. Preprints2024, 2024090116. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0116.v1
Einarsdóttir, J.; Gunnlaugsson, G. Child Fatalities in Tractor-Related Agricultural Incidents in Iceland 1918–2024: A Historical Analysis. Preprints 2024, 2024090116. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0116.v1
Einarsdóttir, J.; Gunnlaugsson, G. Child Fatalities in Tractor-Related Agricultural Incidents in Iceland 1918–2024: A Historical Analysis. Preprints2024, 2024090116. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0116.v1
APA Style
Einarsdóttir, J., & Gunnlaugsson, G. (2024). Child Fatalities in Tractor-Related Agricultural Incidents in Iceland 1918–2024: A Historical Analysis. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0116.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Einarsdóttir, J. and Geir Gunnlaugsson. 2024 "Child Fatalities in Tractor-Related Agricultural Incidents in Iceland 1918–2024: A Historical Analysis" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0116.v1
Abstract
Children on farms face high risks of work and non-work-related fatalities, with tractors being a significant contributor. This study examines children's involvement in fatal tractor-related accidents within agriculture in Iceland in 1950-2024, explores adult reflections on childhood tractor-driving experiences, and analyses Members of Parliament´s arguments against setting a minimum age for off-road tractor driving. Data rests on fatal tractor-related accidents using newspaper archives and supplementary sources, narrative interviews with former summer children who stayed at farms in childhood, and parliamentary debates on tractor-related legislation. Over half of the 81 registered accidents involved children, primarily boys, with 75% occurring between 1958 and 1988 when no minimum age for off-road tractor driving existed. Children's fatality incidence rate was more than four times higher than adults. Arguments against minimum age requirements for off-road driving included the need for child labour, children's superior driving skills, and a denial that children were more often victims than adults. Since 1988, no child has died when driving a tractor. A human-centred approach focusing on working conditions, driver capacity, and adherence to safety procedures and legal frameworks is needed to prevent future accidents.
Keywords
Child;Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; Agriculture; Farmer; Accidents; Off-Road Motor Vehicles; Mortality, Premature; Injury
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
