Motorists will need to share the road with farm equipment during harvest season
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It’s been a tough growing season this year for many Wisconsin farmers. To help ease the burden of farmers, motorists can show some courtesy and respect during the fall harvest season by safely sharing the road with agricultural equipment.
To share the road safely, drivers need to slow down immediately whenever they see a florescent orange slow-moving vehicle emblem on the rear of a tractor or other piece of farm equipment. They also must be alert, focused and patient while trying to pass slow-moving vehicles.
“You should not pass a slow-moving vehicle if you cannot see clearly in front of the vehicle you intend to pass,” says Wisconsin State Patrol Captain Jeff Frenette of the Northwest Region. “Farmers and others using animal-drawn vehicles on a roadway have the same rights and responsibilities as operators of motor vehicles. You should be careful not to frighten the animals. Do not sound your horn or flash your lights near them, and give the animals plenty of room when passing.”
With a recent law change, drivers may pass a slow-moving vehicle in a no passing zone if the slow moving vehicle is traveling at less than one-half of the posted speed limit and the passing can be completed safely.
For their part, farmers and other operators of slow-moving vehicles must follow safety regulations. According to state law, farm tractors, agricultural implements, animal-drawn vehicles or other vehicles that are normally operated at speeds below 25 miles-per-hour must display a “Slow Moving Vehicle” (SMV) sign on the left rear of the vehicle. In all cases—even when the vehicle is not a SMV—if it is operated during hours of darkness, the front and rear of the vehicle must have lights (white to the front, red to the rear) and the lights must be illuminated. A citation for failure to display a SMV sign or a violation of the lighting requirement each costs $162.70.
Vehicles traveling slower than normal traffic must stay as far to the right-side of the roadway as practical. This does not mean slow vehicles must drive on the shoulder of the road although this is allowed if there is room to do so safely.
Captain Frenette says, “Common sense, caution, and courtesy will go a long way to keeping our rural roadways safe during the harvest season.”
More information about requirements for farm equipment on roadways is available on the WisDOT website: www.dot.wisconsin.gov/statepatrol/docs/farm-req.pdf.