Don’t hog the road! Share the road with farm equipment

At this time of year, farmers often need to use public roads to get from field to field in preparation for harvest season. During harvest season, they will also need to use public roads to transport their nutritious food to our communities.

Drivers may experience temporary delays on rural roads due to slow moving farm equipment. Motorists are reminded to be patient and cautious when sharing the road with these vehicles.

Safety tips to observe when coming across farm equipment on Regional roads include:

• Recognize slow moving vehicles on the road. An orange triangle emblem on the back on a vehicle means it’s a slow-moving vehicle.
• Farm equipment continues to increase in size and speed, and may be pulling substantial weight along the road. It is important to give equipment lots of room and do not attempt to pass when road conditions are unsafe.
• Watch for hand signals from the driver. Farm vehicles don’t always have brake lights or turn signals and often use hand signals to show their intentions.
• Pass with caution as farm vehicles must sometimes swing wide to make turns, so a vehicle swinging to the right may still be turning left.
• Be patient as farmers may be unable to pull off the road due to equipment weight or road shoulder conditions.
• Remember that some farm equipment must take up more than one travel lane. Machinery that is half on the road and half on the shoulder may suddenly move completely onto the road to avoid mailboxes or other obstructions on the shoulder. Often, there are protrusions from the tractor, which can be difficult to see.
• Do not pass and then slow down or stop directly in front of the farm vehicle. Remember that large equipment cannot brake as quickly as a car. Give farmers a wide berth when passing.
• Do not pass equipment at intersections; equipment may turn without the ability to signal or see traffic behind them.

Please be courteous when encountering farm equipment to ensure safe travel on our road system.