Harvest Season Driving Safety

Harvest season is busiest during September, October, and November and this means more tractors and farm equipment are on the roadway. It also means more people are on the road for school, work and holiday traffic that may not be paying attention to farm vehicles. 

Defensive driving is critical to the safety of operators who move farm equipment on public roads.
Incidents often occur due to factors such as:

• Lack of experience handling heavy, slow-moving machinery.
• Driving too fast, especially when pulling a heavy load or turning.
• Driving partially over the center line.
• Driving partially on the shoulder and partially on the road surface.
• Colliding with a fixed object, such as a tree or road barrier.
• Motorists approaching the slower moving tractor too quickly to react properly.

Signage
The following applies to all farm equipment operating at or below 25 miles per hour (mph):

• Display a slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblem on the rear of the tractor or equipment so it can be seen by vehicles approaching from the rear.
• Attach an additional SMV emblem to any towed equipment that obstructs the tractor emblem.

Lighting
Farm tractors are required to have the following lighting:

• Tractors must have two forward-facing headlights and a red taillight that burns continuously. The taillight must be visible for 500 feet under normal conditions and mounted on the far-left side of the tractor.
• Towed equipment requires two rear-mounted red reflectors positioned at the extreme left and right.
• Hazard-warning lights (flashers) are mandatory for farm tractors and equipment when operating on public roads. White or amber flashers are mounted on the front, and red or amber on the rear. These lights must be activated when the vehicle is in operation.

Turning
Farm tractors and equipment must follow these safe operating procedures:

• Avoid making last-minute turns to keep the tractor from rolling over.
• Give the proper turn signal at least 100 feet before you make a turn.
• Look behind and to both sides to determine where other vehicles are before making a turn.
• Move into position for the turn at least one-half block before the turn or continue until the next turn can be made safely.
• Apply the brakes while slowing down for the turn, not during the turn.
• Make and complete the turn in the correct lane.

Additional Safety Tip
It is highly recommended your tractor has a rollbar. A rollbar is 99% effective in preventing injury or death in the event of an overturn when used with a seatbelt, and 70% effective when used without a seatbelt. 

Learn more about the ROPS rebate program here. 

For others on the road that don’t drive a tractor- 

• Do not tailgate farm vehicles.
• Exercise caution when passing farm vehicles.
• Be patient and allow plenty of time to get to your destination. Farmers want to get home too!

 

Information provided by the The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC)-Workplace Safety’s Farm Tractor Road Safety Training Program
https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/videoresource/stptrroad.pdf