When our kids learn to drive, part of their instruction in today's world of connectedness includes appropriate times to text and call. One moment of distracted driving could mean a lifetime of regret. As rural citizens, we also make a point to include proper road etiquette when approaching a piece of farm machinery -- do not crowd, tailgate or otherwise rush a tractor driver.
Spring is a particularly busy time for farmers as they plant the year's crop. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates Missouri's 2015 crop area will be more than 14 million planted acres. To accomplish this, many farmers are moving large pieces of equipment from field to field through the use of Missouri highways and bridges.
Farmers should move as quickly and safely as possible when traveling the roads. And they cannot control the behavior of other drivers. For your everyday minivan or sedan, an encounter with farm machinery can be unpleasant at best and, at worst, deadly.
Crash incidences with farm equipment over the last five years have dropped from 205 in 2010 to 147 in 2014, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. From those incidents, the average fatality rate over the same time period was four, annually.
Since 2013, farmers have had help from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) in raising road safety awareness. That year, a Missouri Farm Bureau member suggested the use of MoDOT's digital roadside signs to remind drivers of possible farm equipment on the roads. Farmers appreciate this help, as planting could take several more weeks, depending on the weather.
So if you find yourself on a highway or bridge stuck behind a tractor, remember, do not crowd or tailgate or otherwise rush the farmer in the driver's seat, for your safety and his or hers. Be patient and safe, and don't forget to give a friendly wave when you're able to safely pass.
Community on 04/30/2015