INDIANAPOLIS — Harvest season is here, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and many other state agencies have teamed up to promote roadway safety this fall encouraging motorists to slow down for farm equipment on rural roads this harvest season.
Every year, vehicles are involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana, sometimes resulting in deaths, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Farm equipment during harvest season could include tractors, combines, grain carts, and large trucks hauling ag products. These vehicles sometimes take up most of the road and travel at speeds of 25 mph or less.
The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment:
- Be careful when passing. Do not pass in a designated “No Passing Zone”
- Do not try to pass on the left without ensuring that the vehicle is not planning a left turn
- Be aware of farmers working near the road and semi trucks and trailers parked alongside roads
- Avoid tailgating, as some farm equipment might have to make sudden stops along the road
- Most of the time farmers will pull over when they are able to let motorists pass
