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New York Farm Bureau Launches Road Safety Campaign to
Reduce Farm Vehicle Accidents
Published: April 22, 2024 at
08:00 a.m.
By: Press Release from New York Farm Bureau
NEW YORK FARM BUREAU LAUNCHES ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN TO
REDUCE FARM VEHCILE ACCIDENTS
Public service campaign to remind drivers to share
the road, especially during busy spring planting season.
Farm related vehicle crashes are five times more
likely to be fatal.
New York farmers
are gearing up for spring planting season. That means more large farm
equipment, like tractors, will be on the roads. New
York Farm Bureau reminded drivers to be cautious and share the
road during a press event Friday at Patterson Farms in Auburn, NY. It was
the launch of a road safety campaign that includes two public safety
announcements and social media awareness.
In New York
State, crashes involving farm equipment are among the deadliest. The New
York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health conducted a study in 2019
and found that crashes involving farm vehicles were five-times more likely
to be fatal than non-agricultural crashes.
Of the
agriculture-related incidents, the most common event was a collision with
another vehicle. This made up more than 80-percent of the crashes. NYCAMH
attributed many of these to non-agriculture vehicles attempting to pass
slower-moving agriculture machinery on straightaways.
To improve road
safety, New York Farm Bureau is releasing two
public service announcement videos. The organization is reminding drivers
to be aware of slow-moving vehicles and take careful steps to avoid a
crash. One video features Cayuga County Sheriff
Brian Schenck and the other includes Joe Tyler, a farm employee from El-Vi
Farms in Wayne County who was seriously injured in 2019 when another
vehicle struck the tractor he was driving.
“This is a busy
time of year for farmers. During spring planting and fall harvest, it is
not unusual for our tractors and large equipment to be traveling between
the farm and the fields. It is important for everyone to pay attention, go
slow, and follow proper safety protocols. After all, our farmers are doing
important work to grow the food we all need, and at the end of the day, we
want everyone to make it home safely. A little patience can save a life,”
said Cayuga County Farm Bureau President Jon Patterson.
“When you see a
farm vehicle, especially those displaying the orange slow moving triangle,
slow down and give the equipment more space. Obey roadway markings and know
that the operator may not be able to see you. Crashes are avoidable. Let’s
share the road and prevent them. Safety is no accident,” said Cayuga County
Sheriff Brian Schenck.
“The biggest
thing with tractors is to be patient. The extra 30 seconds you want to gain to pass us could cost a life or hours of your time
if there is an accident. I was hit by a dump truck as I was turning left. I
sustained serious injuries, and it was traumatic for me and my family.
Please be respectful for us and the rules of the road. We will get out of
your way as soon as we can. We got a job to do, and all have families to go
home to,” said Joe Tyler of El-Vi Farms in Newark, NY.
“Cornell
Cooperative Extension Cayuga County joins our partners in encouraging all
users of roads in Cayuga County to Share the Road as planting season gets
underway. For decades, CCE Cayuga has educated the agricultural community
on farm safety topics, including safe tractor operation for youth aged
14-16. Please slow down and give agricultural equipment additional room, so
everyone, including our teens working their first job on a farm, gets home
safely at the end of the day,” said Dan Welch, Executive Director of Cayuga
County Farm Bureau.
Here are some
tips for drivers when out on rural roads during planting and harvest
seasons.
- Slow down and increase following distance if
you come upon equipment with a Slow Moving
Vehicle (SMV) emblem, an orange triangle.
- Never pass with limited visibility or in a
no-passing zone.
- Be alert for farm equipment that may be
turning. Tractors not only turn onto roads or into driveways but can
also turn into fields. They may swing out wide in the opposite
direction to prepare to make a turn. This action can make those
following the farm equipment believe the farmer may be turning the
other way.
- Look down the road as far as possible to be
aware of what is coming and avoid distraction, like a cell phone. At
60 mph, a vehicle is covering 88 feet per second.
Tips for farmers:
- Farm equipment must display a slow-moving
vehicle emblem when traveling under 25 mph. In addition to the SMV
emblem, tractors and machinery must also display a speed-appropriate
speed identification symbol (SIS) when travelling between 25 and 40
mph.
- Never exceed the top-rated speed of any
trailed implement.
- Use proper lighting on farm equipment,
including flashing amber lights in the front and rear. Use lights and
flashers at all times of the day for increased visibility.
- Stay in the lane, do not drive equipment half
on the shoulder and half on the road. A tractor can easily lose
control on a soft shoulder. Ditches that parallel most rural NY
roadsides can cause potentially fatal rollovers for tractors.
- Be alert for vehicles behind you, especially
when turning.
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