This is How We Roll

When spring weather actually comes to Wisconsin, motorists and farm equipment will be sharing the road together. Springtime means planting season not too soon after comes harvesting. That means it’s time for all drivers to be especially vigilant and careful.

According to Wisconsin law, it’s legal to drive farm machinery on public roads and it’s often the only way farmers can get from field to field. Sometimes this means driving large equipment on major highways into neighboring counties and often through parts of town. In other parts of the country in many rural, agriculturally driven areas, farmers are not forced to travel as much on busy highways and in developed areas, but can still be found traveling on back roads. Therefore, it is critical that motorists have an increased awareness of farm equipment showing up on our roadways during growing seasons.

The combination of slow traveling farm equipment and faster motor vehicles means that the time before the two meet can only be seconds. Plus, if you add in any driver distraction such as talking on a cell phone or speeding, stopping without a crash is almost impossible.

According to the National Ag Safety Council, about one-third of tractor-related deaths occur on public roads. Many people may assume this statistic is associated with bad weather or hazardous conditions, but studies have shown that nearly 80 percent of tractor-vehicle collisions occur in daylight and on straight, dry roads.

Last week I visited the Southern Door High School on their annual Drive Your Tractor to School Day. For this event, students can drive their farm equipment to school and bring awareness to this issue. While talking to the students, many expressed the concern they felt while crossing a four-lane highway. Without parents helping slow traffic so they could cross, the boys did not feel they would have made it. Simply because many motorists do not know how to properly share the road with agriculturalists.

When you pass any sort of farm equipment on the road, be sure you are doing so in a safe manner. The person operating that equipment is someone's grandparent, mom or dad, or even their child. Accidents on the road take too many lives of both motorists and agriculturalists. So, slow down and be respectful of the people who are working to provide for your community.

Here are some helpful tips on how you can safely share the road with farm equipment:

Slow down when you see farm equipment ahead. Most farm equipment is only designed to travel at speeds of up to 15-25 mph.

Watch for hand signals. The large size of farm equipment indicates a necessity for extra space when making very wide turns. Be alert to hand motions that signal the direction of the turn.

Watch for the triangular Slow-Moving-Vehicle (SMV) sign. These signs are only legally allowed on vehicles traveling less than 25 mph, which includes most (but not all) farm equipment. They will provide an immediate warning to those who are focusing on the road ahead.

Watch for amber flashing lights. Also, look for reflective tape that may mark the edges of farm equipment.

Do not speed past farm equipment. Equipment can have parts projecting outward that are difficult to spot at first glance. Also, the turbulence caused by a fast speeding vehicle could cause the machinery to sway and become unstable.

Do not pull out in front of a slow-moving vehicle, then slow down suddenly. Tractors and machinery do not have the same ability to maneuver the road as smaller cars and trucks. It also takes the equipment much longer to come to a stop than a regular-sized motor vehicle.

Do not expect equipment to run partly on the shoulders of the road. Driving with one set of wheels on the road and another on the road shoulder can substantially increase the chance of an overturn. Having to avoid obstacles on the roadside and snatching back over abruptly can easily cause an overturn for the equipment operator.

Always use caution and patience! Never take unnecessary risks.

Drive Safe,

Katrina