Published: October 10, 2009 02:49 pm      

Share the road

Indiana State Police have issued a reminder to motorists to keep an eye out for farm machinery.

Agriculture is a huge part of the area economy, and it’s crucial during harvest season for drivers to have patience and share the road.

Farm machinery travels slower than normal traffic, so it’s important for motorists to be on the lookout for farm equipment so they can slow down and avoid rear-end crashes.

At the same time, farmers should remember to display a slow-moving vehicle emblem on the back of their equipment, and they should make sure all lighting is working properly. Farmers should also remember that slow-moving vehicles are required to pull off to the right at the earliest opportunity when a line of three or more vehicles forms behind them.

Still, motorists should keep in mind that machinery that is half on the road and half on the shoulder might suddenly move completely onto the road and even take up more than one lane to avoid obstacles such as road signs.

Before you pass farm machinery, be sure the equipment is not turning left. Keep an eye out for hand signals and remember that if the machinery slows and pulls toward the right side, the operator might be preparing to make a wide left turn. Likewise, farm implements sometimes fade to the left in preparation for a right turn.

You should also make certain that the road is wide enough for you and the machinery to safely share before pulling out to pass, and you should keep an eye out for roadside obstacles such as mailboxes, bridges or road signs that might cause the machinery to move to the center of the road.

The bottom line is that encountering farm equipment on the roadway is an unavoidable part of the fall harvest season.

We’ll all get through the season safely with a bit of patience and some careful driving habits.

– Pharos-Tribune, Logansport,

and Kokomo Tribune