Living in rural communities means increased farm traffic on the roadway in the spring. Farmers spend an estimated 50 hours a year moving equipment on public roads. Most paved roads are 18 to 20 feet wide and 70 percent of farm machinery is more than 13 feet wide. According to statistics from MN DOT, there have been over 400 crashes since 2021 involving farm equipment. Of those crashes, eight resulted in deaths, and close to 200 involved in injuries. Please keep the things below in mind to make sure you, our farmers, and our employees have a safe spring on the road!
Road Safety Tips:
- Always wear seat belts.
- Reduce speed when you see farm equipment on rural roads.
- Allow for short closing distances when approaching slow-moving vehicles.
- Brake for orange and red reflective triangles that warn of slow-moving vehicles.
- Slow down on gravel roads, hills, curves and turns.
- Keep a safe distance behind farm equipment so farmers can see you. If you can’t see his mirrors, he can’t see you.
- Yield to wide equipment on narrow roads.
Tips for Passing Farm Equipment:
- Be especially cautious of farm equipment turning left onto driveways or fields. They may first pull right for wide turns.
- Pass farm equipment only if conditions are safe and no on-coming traffic.
- Farm equipment operators may pull over on the shoulder of the road if safe to do so.
- Farm equipment operators may move to the center to avoid objects on the road shoulder.
- Do not pass farm equipment on the yellow line, curves, or hills. Please be patient.
