Rural roads are getting busier. Slow down to keep farmers safe | Opinion
Centre County Farm Bureau will recognize Rural Roads Safety Week April 12-18, and it is a cause close to our hearts. Our rural roads connect us to the people and places we love most. But as planting season approaches, those same roads get busier with the tractors and farm equipment that feed our communities and our country.
This year, a few extra minutes of patience could save a life. Slow down. Stay alert. Give them space.
Stuck behind a tractor? We’ve all been there, but following a tractor for two miles will take only six minutes of your day. Fortunately, that’s just enough time for you to listen to one extra song and enjoy the beautiful country scenery that Centre County has to offer! Those farmers are your neighbors. They’re feeding your family and ours. A little patience on rural roads goes a long way toward keeping everyone safe and keeping our farming community strong.
Most tractors and farm equipment need more than one standard lane on the road to operate and travel at speeds well under the speed limit. Farmers know this and try to travel during lower traffic times of day. Farm equipment can legally be operated on roadways, even at night.
However, when you encounter farm equipment on the road, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Slow down and keep a safe following distance
- Only pass when there is plenty of room, a clear line of sight, and it is legal
- Watch for wide and unexpected turns
- Be patient and respectful
Our farmers are out there doing important work. Let’s look out for them the way they look out for us.
At highway speeds, a single distraction could take your eyes off the road long enough to forever alter your life.
Centre County’s rural roads are beautiful, but they are also full of activity. With the warmer weather, rural roads are now busier than ever. As more tractors and farm equipment take to the roads, farmers need your attention, every second of it, to make sure they get home safely.
Fatality rates on rural roads are 1.5 times higher than on urban roads, and it’s a statistic that hits very close to home for many of us in rural communities.
Rural roads can be deceiving. They feel open and familiar, but they come with real risks: no shoulders, limited lighting, wildlife crossings, and slow-moving farm equipment sharing the lane.
The good news: Most rural road accidents are preventable. Slow down, put the phone down, and stay alert. The people waiting for you at home are worth it.
You’ve definitely seen it before: a bright orange and red triangular sign on the back of a tractor or piece of farm equipment.
That’s an SMV, short for Slow Moving Vehicle, and it’s one of the most important safety symbols on rural roads. The sign tells drivers that the vehicle ahead is moving 25 mph or less, giving you the warning you need to react safely and give them space. All slow-moving vehicles legally need to display it, for your safety and theirs.
This planting season, our roads will be full of hardworking farmers displaying that little orange triangle. When you see it, slow down and show some love for the people feeding our communities.
Our farmers do not want to inconvenience anyone and will often pull over to allow others to pass when it’s safe to do so. Maybe the next time you see a farmer you could thank them, it is because of their hard work and dedication that we can put food on our tables.
On behalf of the Centre County Farm Bureau, we hope you have a very safe and prosperous year, and please remember how blessed we are to live in this great country.
Evalene C. Ishler is a Centre County Farm Bureau member.