Caution Key to Sharing the Road with Farm Machinery

September 23, 1997

Greensboro, NC: With more automobiles traveling rural roads and farm consolidation creating more frequent tractor travel on highways, the potential for collisions involving farm machinery and automobiles is increasing, says a Cooperative Extension specialist. Still, with informed actions on both sides, such collisions can be avoided.

"Almost all accidents can be prevented," said Mohammed J. Ibrahim, farm machinery safety and energy coordinator with the North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension Program. "The motorist needs to understand the farmer's situation, and likewise, the farmer needs to understand the motorist's situation."

According to Ibrahim, the most common accident-causing mistakes made by farmers include failure to yield, improper turning, not signaling a turn and unsafe maneuvers. Among the most common mistakes made by motorists are driving too fast, following too closely and improper passing.

"The majority of collisions involving automobiles and farm machinery occur when the tractor is leaving the road," said Ibrahim. "This causes a situation in which the tractor is slowing dramatically, and the motorist doesn't know which way the tractor is turning."

Ibrahim offers the following precautions which motorists can take to avoid collisions with farm machinery:

• be extremely careful when passing farm machinery. Although a tractor may appear to be stopping beside the road or turning right, it might actually be turning left. Look for gates, driveways or access roads on the left side of the road which may indicate a left turn.
  
• be aware that what might appear as a tractor with a single wagon may actually be a tractor with several attachments. This might mean that more room is required for passing.
  
• slow down as soon as you see farm machinery. The size of tractors and implements can be deceiving when trying to determine the distance between your car and the machinery.
  
• be patient. A few minutes of traveling at a slow speed is not worth the risk of accident.

For farmers using public roads for transportation of equipment, Ibrahim suggests:

• signal all turns with lights or hand motions.
  
• to allow traffic to pass, identify a safe place to pull off the road, and then stop. Avoid places with little room, drastic slopes or soft terrain. Such areas can cause the equipment to roll over.
  
• before traveling on the road with a harvester, adjust hitches, fold unloading augers or remove headers to make the machine as narrow as possible.
  
• use lights and signs to alert motorists of a slow-moving vehicle.
  
• use low or mid-range gears when traveling down hills to avoid loss of control.
  
• keep headers and other weight as close to the ground as possible to improve stability.
  
• keep machinery in safe operating condition.
  
• let only experienced drivers operate farm equipment on public roads.
  
• don't allow extra riders on tractors or other equipment.

"Encounters between farm machinery and cars are frequent occurrences in rural areas," said Ibrahim. "If everyone will take a little time to consider the situation and act accordingly, these encounters will be as safe and routine as they should be."

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For more information, please contact Jimo Ibrahim, NC A&T State University Cooperative Extension Program, (336) 334-7024.