NYFB Director of Communications
Spring planting season is here, which means you may see more large farm equipment out on the roads as farmers move between the farm and the fields.
It’s an ordinary occurrence in farm country, but it also comes with some extraordinary concerns.
According to a 2019 study from New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, collisions involving tractors and other farm equipment are the deadliest rural road accidents in New York. Crashes involving farm equipment are five times more likely to be fatal, and they often occur when someone is attempting to pass.
This is why New York Farm Bureau and many of the 52 county farm bureaus across the state are promoting its “Share the Road” campaign. We are encouraging drivers to be mindful of the farm equipment and asking farmers to be very careful as well. The campaign will include public service announcements on local radio and television stations, social media and road signs. All with the same message reminding everyone to be careful.
For starters, drivers should be on the lookout for the orange triangle-shaped Slow-Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem. By law, it must be mounted on any machinery that travels less than 25 mph on public roads, and you can quickly come up on slower-moving machinery. At 60 mph, a vehicle is covering 88 feet per second. Look down the road as far as possible to be aware of what is coming and avoid distractions, like a cellphone.
Also, drivers should take extra precautions when passing and be alert for farm equipment that may be turning into a field or driveway and not at an intersection. The farm vehicle may also swing out in the opposite direction to begin to make a turn, which can make those following them think they are turning the other way.
There are important safety tips that farmers can follow, as well. New York Farm Bureau urges equipment drivers to always have an SMV sign on the tractor. Use proper lighting on farm equipment, including flashing amber lights in the front and rear. These should be on at all times of the day for increased visibility, but use of lights on tractors is required after dark and during times when visibility is reduced to under 1,000 feet.
Also, stay in the lane, do not drive equipment half on the shoulder and half on the road. A tractor can easily lose control on a soft shoulder. Ditches that parallel most rural New York roadsides can cause potentially fatal rollovers for tractors.
Farms have important work to do, planting the food we need, and they will take extra care to get out of your way as soon as they can. It will take everyone to be mindful, especially during the busy spring planting and fall harvest seasons.
At the end of the day, let’s work together to share the road so we all get home safely to our families. As the Cayuga County Sheriff recently reminded us, safety is no accident.
Steve Ammerman is director of communications for the New York Farm Bureau.
