Sharing the Road Safely with Farm Equipment
As we move out of the dog days of summer and into harvest season, many of our rural roads will start seeing a little more traffic. Farm equipment is essential to agriculture, but moving tractors, combines, sprayers, and other machinery on public roads creates serious risks. These machines are often wider, taller, and slower than surrounding traffic. They may also have limited visibility and require more room to stop or turn.
A tractor traveling 15 miles per hour may appear to be moving faster when approached from behind. A motorist traveling 55 miles per hour can close a 300-foot gap in only a few seconds. Preventing collisions requires farmers, employees, and other drivers to recognize the hazards and share responsibility for roadway safety. Take a moment to review this month's Safety Alert on ways you can share the road safely with farm equipment.