The days are getting shorter, and that means more farm equipment is on the roadways as the fall harvest gets underway. In an agriculture-heavy state like South Dakota, motorists and farmers are urged to be safe and mindful of each other.
South Dakota State University Extension youth safety field specialist John Keimig says chances are rural-area motorists will see more tractors or other farm machinery on the roadways. He says on a flat road, there’s a better chance of slowing down in time, but extra caution is needed when there are curves and hills.
“Be careful as you’re going over hills, because you never know if there may be a slow-moving vehicle in front of you. Just kind of try to keep an eye out as far ahead as possible.”
For farmers, Keimig believes it’s the small details– such as making sure slow-moving vehicle placards are visible on the back of equipment– that go a long way toward keeping things safe.
“Wipe their lights clean – you know, they deal with a dusty environment. So, instead of pulling out on the road with those lenses a little dirty, get that all cleaned off.”
Keimig urges farmers to clean mud off of their tires before leaving a field and if the equipment carries some debris onto the road, he urges the driver to pull over and clean it up.
Both standard vehicles and tractors are equipped with more technology these days, and safety experts warn all drivers not to fall into the distraction trap, including the use of cell phones. Past research on farm equipment-related crashes in Midwestern states show they scale up during the growing season and peak during the fall harvest.
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