Slow down, be aware: Safety is key this planting season

The first week of April was cold, windy and wet but the start to planting season is still on the radar for Illinois farmers.

And safety is key. With slow-moving vehicles on roadways, the driving public and farmers should be extra careful to prevent crashes and ensure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day.

Rachel Fulton, agronomy innovations manager for Corteva Agriscience, farms with her father and husband in McLean County. She is also a mother of two young girls, Daisy and Caroline.

Fulton’s message for those on the road this spring, “Slow down and be aware of your surroundings. It doesn’t matter if the crops are in the ground if you’re not here to harvest it.”

During the 2023 harvest, Fulton said she drove the tractor and wagon to the grain elevator for the first time. “You just can’t move over like a regular car can,” she told FarmWeek. “It’s just eye opening even for somebody that grew up on a farm to actually sit in the driver’s seat and haul on the road.”

When moving farm equipment on the road, Fulton pointed out these vehicles make wide turns, adding more dangers for motorists who might attempt to pass. Additionally, it’s harder for tractors, semis and planters to make quick stops.

The general rule of thumb for passing is to do some from three seconds behind the vehicle ahead. Still, Fulton recommended drivers give more space between themselves and the farm equipment before attempting to pass safely.

“The typical planting season in Illinois runs from mid-April to mid-June, and crashes involving farm equipment are not uncommon in a state where the majority of overall land is farmland,” Illinois State Police Trooper Joshua Robinson said. “Awareness and patience by everyone traveling, especially on rural routes and in rural communities, is imperative and will contribute to highway safety.”

Illinois Department of Transportation data from 2021 shows 295,604 crashes involving motor vehicles in Illinois. Crashes involving tractor-trailers accounted for 3.8% of total crashes and 8.5% of fatal crashes.

With the heightened risk of tractor-trailer and other farm vehicle accidents this planting season, Robinson wants to remind the driving public:

• Slow down and share the road responsibly.
• Don’t pass until it’s safe and legal to do so.
• Watch for farm implements on the road and as they enter and exit farms.
• Allow extra room when following farm equipment.
• Remember a farmer cannot always move over to let motorists pass.
• Know that if you can’t see the driver, the driver can’t see you.

Additionally, Johnson stressed the importance of limiting distractions while driving.

“Distracted driving is one of the four most common contributing factors in all fatal crashes in the state of Illinois,” he said. “It falls upon the farmers and falls upon the rest of the motoring public to put all their focus on what’s in front of them.”

Johnson highlighted further important safety practices for farmers to remember as well:

• Look both ways before pulling out into a roadway.
• Take extra time to clean off all safety equipment.
• If there is a large traffic backup behind you, pull off to the side of the roadway if it is safe to do so, or move into a safe area.
• Remember to use turn signals when changing lanes or pulling into a field entrance.

“Motorists and operators of farming equipment and other specialized motorized apparatuses must share the roadway,” Johnson added.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.