Thursday the weather cleared and since then temperatures have gone on a warming trend. What will follow is a ramping up of farm equipment on the roads as planting season fires up.
“We love to be in a field,” says Boone County farmer Don Lamb. “Farming is great when you’re out in a field doing the work. When you have to get back out on the road and move from field to field, that’s when the blood pressure goes up a little bit.”
Lamb is also the new director for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and they have teamed up with Hoosier Ag Today to remind motorists that roadways are busier now and to be prepared for slowdowns. He says the blood pressure goes up in parallel with the risks on the roads.
“More and more as traffic increases and speeds increase and things like that, when we get out on the roads it really is a little bit of a scary situation for farmers. We’re constantly looking in rear view mirrors. We’re constantly wondering if somebody’s on their phone, if they see us. Even with all the flashing lights it’s so easy today to be distracted, so it really has seemed like the risk has come up in the last few years being on the road.”
Lamb reminds motorists that if farmers driving on roads can get over so you can pass, they will. But there is a lot that goes into making that move.
“Farmers get pretty good at looking ahead and really looking for those areas of a road that are good to pull over. Sometimes there’s a deep side ditch and we just can’t get over at that point. Sometimes there’s telephone poles, mailboxes, culvert pipes that go across, go underneath the roads and we can’t drive across that culvert pipe. So, we’re always looking out ahead trying to find the very best place to meet, so sometimes it just takes a little bit of patience for everybody to slow down just a little bit and find that spot.”
In the new HAT and ISDA planting safety video, Director Lamb points out we’re all together in making sure this planting season is a safe one. Check out the video at the HAT YouTube Channel.
News Release and Tips from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture:
Motorists should remain cautious on rural roads this Spring; share the road with farm equipment
INDIANAPOLIS (April 10, 2023) — Planting season is quickly approaching for Indiana’s 94,000 farmers. With the warm weather and sunshine, Hoosier motorists will also see more large slow-moving farm equipment traveling Indiana’s rural roads and highways.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana State Police and Hoosier Ag Today want to encourage motorists to slow down, be alert and be patient on roadways this spring.
“Indiana is the eighth largest farming state in the country and a national leader in the production of traditional row crops like corn and soybeans,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Whether you live in rural, urban or suburban Indiana, remain alert on the road this spring as you may encounter large farm equipment moving between fields.”
In 2020 three vehicles were involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana which resulted in two deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration*.
“During the spring, Indiana sees a drastic increase of large farm equipment on our rural roads and highways, and it is important for Hoosiers to know how to safely navigate around them,” said Doug Carter, Indiana State Police Superintendent. “Patience, courtesy and understanding, along with the undivided attention of motorists and farmers will help ensure a safe 2023 planting season.
While the term “farm equipment” encompasses a wide range of vehicles, the most common types motorists will encounter during planting season include sprayers, tractors pulling planters or tillage equipment, and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph.
The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment:
- Farmers will pull over when they are able to let motorists pass, but it may take time for them to get to a safe place to do so.
- Be patient. Farm equipment is wide, sometimes taking up most of the road.
- Be careful when passing. Do not pass in a designated “No Passing Zone” or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevation structure or tunnel.
- Do not try to pass slow-moving farm equipment on the left without ensuring that the farmer driving is not planning a left turn. It may appear that the driver is pulling over to allow a pass when the farmer is actually preparing to turn. You will drive right into its path, endangering yourself and the farmer.
- Avoid tailgating, as some farm equipment might have to make sudden stops along the road.
- Allow plenty of time to get to a destination, be aware of alternate routes and avoid distractions.
Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb wants to remind motorists that farmers work hard to ensure they are being as safe as possible.
“Indiana’s corn and soybeans are utilized for a magnitude of products we depend on every day, such as food products like corn chips and sweeteners, livestock feeds so we can enjoy our favorite meats, fuel for our cars and more,” said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “It is critical that farmers get their crops planted in a timely manner to ensure a successful crop. If you encounter farm equipment on the roads, be patient and courteous so everyone can make it home safely to their families.”
For a list of safety tips, click here or visit isda.in.gov. The following organizations will be working together to share this important safety message during planting season: Hoosier Ag Today, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Transportation and Indiana State Police.
