COLUMN: Avoiding collisions with farm machinery

Columns

June 11, 2007

By Paul E. Lehman The Niagara Gazette Mon Jun 11, 2007, 05:25 PM EDT

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.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Columns

GLYNN: VFW post keeps spirit alive
At one time, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars-Post 313 would march down Main Street in Youngstown on Memorial Day to the 1812 Cemetery near Old Fort Niagara. That same scenario out of the past occurred for decades in cities, towns and villages across the U.S.

May 27, 2012 1 Photo
HAMILTON: Dandelions, parades, broken poles and people
There are still those remnants of the fading bouquets of floral tributes that still hang at that base of a tree on city hall’s lawn. It is near where, last year, from his shiny silvery cart, Melvin Johnson sold hot dogs and sausages to both city employees and passerbys while his tiny white dog excitingly yelped at anyone that came near.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
No Headline Provided
May 24, 2012
GLYNN: Gillibrand seeks help for prime bread-winners
A recent report shows that working mothers across the Empire State earn nearly 15 percent lower pay for the same work as men.

May 23, 2012 1 Photo
BRADBERRY: There really are spirits in the water
Over the centuries since it was “discovered” hundreds of millions of people have traveled from every corner of the world to visit Niagara Falls making it the most visited of the great waterfalls on the planet.

May 22, 2012 1 Photo
CONFER: The reality of rationed health care
The ongoing debate over Obamacare has brought to light the concept of rationed healthcare. Opponents of health care reform keenly point out that while the bill never explicitly calls out rationing, it features certain provisions that will lead the markets to adjust to strict federal demands and, therefore, dispense certain procedures in smaller amounts or not at all. Because of it being the first time that the subject has really come up in public circles, most people, especially on the right, believe that rationing is something new. It’s not. The free markets have been practicing that for quite some time. I should know; with a 4-inch long, 1-inch wide scar running south of my belly button – and a couple of related scars around my groin – I could be the poster child for rationed health care.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
CITY DESK: A regrettable error
We owe Carol Sensabough an apology.

Several weeks ago, the long-time reader and Niagara Falls resident sent a letter to the editor explaining that she took offense to some of the things written by a syndicated columnist, Stephen Dick.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
HIGGS: Niagara Falls' own West Side story
Trusello’s Bakery was on Elmwood behind the family home at 840 19th St. The family, Richard, William (Billy) and Sam along with two sisters, lived in the house.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
GLYNN: Falls, Ont., rolls out red carpet for Wallenda
Before Nik Wallenda even started practicing his high-wire routine in downtown Niagara Falls, state Sen.George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, had noted the warm welcome the tightrope walker received across the river.

May 20, 2012 1 Photo
HAMILTON: Civic ‘ParticipAction’ can work too
Back in the 1970s, our Neighbors to the North ran a national campaign called ParticipAction to encourage Canadians to get off their butts and do things for the sakes of their bodies.

May 17, 2012 1 Photo
More Columns Headlines

Columns

Search Results

COLUMN: Avoiding collisions with farm machinery

Site Map

Contact Us