Published: June 11, 2007 05:24 pm      

COLUMN: Avoiding collisions with farm machinery

In Niagara County in the last five years, there have been three near-fatal car-tractor collisions on the highway. Farm tractors on the highway with a top speed of 25 mph can be annoying to non-farm drivers who often drive dangerously in approaching and passing slow moving vehicles.

As build out occurs in Niagara County and Western New York in general, the rural character of communities is changing and with it, conflict between farm users of the highway and everyone else on increasingly congested highways is a serious concern. This is especially true during the busy harvest season. Farm equipment is becoming bigger. As farms become larger in size and spread out over more area, farmers are spending a lot more time traveling with their tractors and equipment on public roads. Agricultural equipment on the road can be hazardous to both farmers and motorists.

Farm equipment usually moves 25 mph or less in areas where the speed limit may be posted at 55 mph. This can be a dangerous situation for a motorist going at 55 mph on the highway approaching farm equipment at 15 mph can be on the equipment's “back door” in less than seven seconds (while traveling 400 feet). This does not give the motorist much time to react. According to the National Safety Council, roadway collisions that involve farm vehicles on US roads total more than 15,000 per year. More than two-thirds of these collisions involve the farm vehicle being hit from behind, but collisions can also occur when the tractor and equipment tries to make left turns or by sideswipes. Over 90 percent of these collisions occur in the daylight and on dry roads. Usually, when the fatality occurs, the victim is the tractor operator.

For motorists: How do you drive safely when encountering farm machinery on public roadways?

n Avoid a collision by slowing down immediately when you see agricultural equipment on the road with Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblems. SMV emblems are meant to warn you to slow down and that the equipment displaying the SMV emblem travels at less than 25 mph.

n Be alert for agricultural equipment with SMV emblems, reflectors, or flashing lights.

n Expect to see more agricultural equipment on roadways during the busy agricultural seasons such as the spring planting season and the fall harvest season, but be alert for farm equipment on the road at any time of year.

n Be careful when trying to pass equipment as the operator may not see or hear you. Be patient, do not pass the slow moving equipment unless it is absolutely safe to do so.

• Pass with caution, as the equipment may be longer and wider than you think.

• Be aware of possible left hand turns into fields.

• It is illegal to use SMV emblems to be used on stationary objects such as driveway markers, fence posts or mailboxes. By law, SMV emblems are only to be used on slow moving vehicles.

For farmers: How do you travel safely over the road with your farm equipment?

• Use SMV emblems to show that your equipment is traveling 25 mph or less. Remember point goes up!

• Replace a SMV emblem that becomes dirty, broken or faded, it is ineffective and illegal. New SMV emblems can reflect up to 1,200 feet.

• If your towed equipment obscures the SMV emblem or lights on your tractor, place SMV emblems or lights on your towed equipment.

• Check your SMV emblem, marking tape and lights before road travel.

• Use flashers and turn signals to indicate your location and intentions.

• Use reflective strips to show the size of farm equipment.

• Pull over and allow traffic to pass, when it is safe to do so and you can pull off the road entirely with your equipment.

• Try to avoid or minimize road travel when it is dark or during times of bad weather or poor visibility.

• Use an escort vehicle if moving large equipment on the road.

• Consider installing service roads in your fields along busy highways to eliminate travel on the highway wherever it might be feasible to do so.

The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) is always available for specific information on agricultural machinery and roadway safety. Readers should feel free to contact Jim Carrabba at (800) 343-7527, ext. 239 or jcarrabba@nycamh.com. Safety specialists from NYCAMH are available to do roadway safety presentations to agricultural audiences as well.

Paul E. Lehman is the Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator for Niagara County.