Fall Harvest - How to stay safe on the roads!

As the calendar quickly flips through the days of September, we are about to see a lot more then just fall colors as you're out and about on the roads! Our area farms are going to be working frantically to harvest their corn crop & to plow and fertilize their land to prepare for next years season. This means we will once again see more farm equipment on our county and rural road ways. Here are some tips and facts to remember when you are approaching farm equipment on the road.





1. Slow tractors and faster cars means the amount of time it takes for the two to meet each other happens VERY quickly!







2. Farm machinery operates differently then your car or truck! It is not very maneuverable!

3. Top 3 differences between the way a car handles and a tractor.

* Speed - (Most are less then 25 mph) Some new "hi speed" tractors can reach 40 mph
* Turning - (Watch for wide turns, look ahead for farms or field entrances they may use.)
* Braking

4. The tractor driver may not be able to see you! Sometimes the equipment they are hauling blocks their view of cars coming up behind them! You can keep your distance to assure the driver can see your car in the tractors mirrors!

5. Watch the tractor's road position! This is often a clue to tell you what direction they will be turning. If the tractor driver seems to be "hogging the road" or "driving almost on the wrong side" chances are they are trying to tell the cars behind them they are about to turn!

6. The equipment is often much wider then the road it is traveling and will have to use the road's shoulder or even the ditch to make room for you to pass! (If you are every wondering why they are not pulling over to let you pass, chances are there is something on the side of the road preventing them to move over!)

Here is a video of a farmer in Tennessee who has some more first hand tips on how to share the road safely with tractors. You even get to "take a ride" in a tractor! Hopefully these tips will help you stay safe on the roads this fall as well as help our farming friends do the same! Happy driving and remember that every time you see a tractor on the road it is heading to a field to prepare food for their cows for another entire year!