Share the road safely at harvest time
Photo by Roger Starnes Sr. Free Use. Unsplash.
By Cecilia Nasmith
With harvest season here, the County of Northumberland is joining forces with the Northumberland Federation of Agriculture and Ontario Provincial Police to launch a public awareness campaign to educate motorists on sharing the road safely with farm equipment.
Slow Down, Stay Alert and Wait to Pass is the campaign encouraging drivers to recognize the orange-and-red slow-moving-vehicle triangle – and to remember that it means the vehicle ahead is travelling slowly and cannot speed up. The correct response is to slow down, maintain a safe following distance, and only pass when it is safe and legal to do so.
Each fall, tractors, wagons, combines and other farm equipment travel Northumberland roads to move among fields, farm properties and agricultural facilities. Some of these vehicles can be large, wide and difficult to maneuver. Some may need to make unexpected turns or move closer to the shoulder. And while these vehicles may be slower than regular traffic, they have a right to use the road.
The idea for this campaign was first raised by the Cramahe Township Agricultural Advisory Committee, whose members identified recurring safety concerns about drivers following too closely, passing unsafely or not understanding how to respond to a slow-moving-vehicle sign.
“Harvest is how Northumberland feeds our communities, and it means more farm equipment sharing our roads than at any other time,” Northumberland Director of Public Works Denise Marshall said in the announcement.
“Farm equipment has every right to be on our roads. This campaign is about making sure drivers know what to expect and how to respond when they encounter a slow-moving vehicle. A few extra seconds of patience can prevent a serious collision.”
Ontario Federation of Agriculture statistics indicate the risks associated with slow-moving vehicles are significant – slow moving vehicles are five to eight times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision per kilometre than other motor vehicles. And these accidents that involve farm equipment happen in good driving conditions – eight out of 10 occur during daylight hours, and seven out of 10 occur in dry road conditions.
And the OPP says these collisions can result in serious injuries or fatalities, including incidents involving rollovers, soft shoulders and collision with passenger vehicles.
“Our farmers are out on these roads because that's where they work – moving equipment between fields, to grain elevators and back home again,” Northumberland Federation of Agriculture President Allan Carruthers said.
“We're grateful to Northumberland County and the OPP for standing behind our farm families with a campaign that helps keep everyone on the road safe.”
Motorists are reminded to:
Slow down when approaching farm equipment displaying a slow-moving vehicle orange triangle sign.
Stay back and maintain a safe following distance.
Stay alert for turns, wide equipment and unexpected movements.
Wait to pass until it is safe and legal to do so.
Be patient. Taking those few extra seconds to pass safely could prevent a serious collision.
The campaign will include large portable roadway signs that will be placed on county roads in rural areas and at key entry points into the county, supported by a co-ordinated communications effort across Northumberland municipalities.
