SIR, – Recently I was heading along one of Scotland’s notoriously poor and congested roads and came across a slow-moving convoy of traffic.

There are two roads, that are critical to the North and the North-east, the A9 and the A96, once described by a former First Minister 'one is a death trap the other is a dirt track.' Both are long overdue for upgrade.

The slow-moving convoy. Trundling along at about 30mph, a tractor no doubt. As the convoy snaked round a right-hand bend, my suspicions were confirmed, a tractor and double axle trailer stacked up with green bales. Behind which were numerous white vans and cars and an articulated lorry. I was some way back.

It is bale carting time again, it's now harvest time and for the next couple of months there will be many more tractors on the roads doing what tractors do. So, relax, listen to the radio, more doom and gloom as usual and admire the scenery.

A mile or so on, I thought our convoy leader will courteously pull in and let us all past? Or maybe not.

After another mile, white van man suicidally goes past during a section of no overtaking double white lines. The double white lines are there because there is a wide road end which our convoy leader sails right past. He could have pulled in for a few minutes but did not.

Further on, a gentle downhill section, the convoy marginally speeds up and a layby, with plenty of room to pull in. As we trundle past, I can imagine what the HGV driver is thinking – he is under time constraints on his tacho card, is a professional driver, has undergone a medical and CPC as well as rigorous driver testing to be allowed to drive.

The tractor driver, frequently carrying similar weights has undergone none of this. The HGV driver will be fuming mad.

There is a strong argument that if tractors continually delay traffic flow on trunk roads, their use should be restricted at peak times, or alternatively drivers should be similarly trained and tested as HGV drivers, including fitting tachos to record their use on road. To gain an HGV license costs circa £1500.

A few cars do the mad dash before oncoming traffic to get past. If you have been unlucky enough to see the aftermath of a serious road accident, you sensibly stay behind our oblivious convoy leader. This continues for 6.1 miles from joining the end of the convoy until a double overtaking section arrives. The HGV slowly pulls past uphill and the rest of us follow.

I consider 6.1 miles (I checked my trip counter) to be far too long to be stuck behind an inconsiderate tractor driver. There were numerous pull over points, laybys, road ends, wide grass verges. He probably did not even know we were there. Did he look in his mirrors, could he see past his load?

Rule 169 of the Highway Code states that motorists should not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if they are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. It informs drivers to frequently check their mirrors and if necessary pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass. Delaying traffic could mean three points on your license if it were ever policed.

Public opinion is critical for the future of our industry. The public must be kept 'on side'. The good tractor drivers regularly pull over. The poor ones infuriate the travelling public and tarnish the entire industry.

Good guys, please educate drivers to pull over, or the public will start asking for restricted road use, or government will remove the red diesel concession for 'short haul' road use. If on a trunk road, make it every couple of miles, please.

Disgruntled Drover….