According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), motorists traveling on the state’s highways this fall need to be aware of large pieces of farm equipment transporting crops to farmsites, markets, grain elevators and processing plants.
“Harvest season is in full swing and farmers in every corner of Minnesota are out using the highways,” says Sue Groth, state traffic engineer. “Motorists need to be prepared to encounter slow-moving farm vehicles, especially on rural, two-lane roads.”
Farm equipment is large and heavy, making it hard for operators to accelerate, slow down and stop. The machines also make wide turns and sometimes cross over the center line. In addition, farm vehicles can create large blind sports, making it difficult for operators to see approaching vehicles. All of these factors can cause serious crashes.
During 2011-2013, 392 traffic crashes took place on Minnesota roads involving at least one farm vehicle – resulting in 14 fatalities and 210 injuries. Of the 14 fatalities, nine were farm vehicle riders; of the 210 injuries, 54 were farm vehicle riders.
“The biggest factors contributing to farm equipment/vehicle crashes are inattention, speeding and unsafe passing,” Groth adds. “When approaching farm equipment, motorists should always slow down and use extreme caution.”
Motorists should watch for debris dropped by trucks because sit is safer to brake or drive through debris than to veer into oncoming traffic or off the road, wait for a safe place to pass, wear seatbelts and drive with headlights on at all times.
Farm equipment operators, meanwhile, should use lights and flashers to make equipment more visible, use slow-moving vehicle emblems on equipment traveling less than 30 miles per hour and consider using a follow vehicle when moving equipment – especially at night.
