Over the next few months, harvest will continue to bustle as crops are delivered from fields to grain bins and cotton gins. Agriculture requires a lot of moving equipment, and farmers must take to public roadways to get the job done. 

Precautions to prevent accidents and collisions are just as important for vehicle motorists as they are for farm equipment operators. To promote safety precautions, National Farm Safety and Health Week has been observed annually during the third week of September since 1944. 

This year, the theme is “Don’t learn safety by accident.” Each day of the weeklong observance covers a specific topic, and Sept. 16 will focus on Equipment and Rural Roadway Safety. 

In the spirit of this campaign and the busy harvest season, here are a few tips to keep everyone safe when ag equipment takes to the roadways. 

4 tips for motorists 

As a motorist, getting behind a tractor or harvester slows the pace and adds time to one’s commute. Exercising caution is key, and being patient can reduce your risk of making a reckless decision. In these situations, vehicle motorists should: 

Related:Keep alert to farm equipment on rural roads

Remember, the chances of a farm equipment crash increase with higher traffic volume. Plus, roadways with speed limits of 50 to 60 miles per hour are associated with greater odds of farm equipment collisions compared to roadways with speeds less than 35 mph. This is all according to a six-year study published by the National Institutes of Health.

So, slow down, watch for other drivers, and understand the safest choice may be to “take the high road” and follow the farm equipment until it clears the highway. 

4 tips for farm equipment operators 

Putting heavy machinery on roadways is unavoidable for farmers, and precautions taken before and during these transitions can lessen the chance of accidents. To ensure safety, equipment drivers should: 

Related:Follow these road safety tips during planting season

Each year, an estimated 15,000 farm vehicles are involved in highway crashes, according to the National Safety Council in a fact sheet published by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Furthermore, studies of collisions between slow-moving vehicles and motor vehicles conclude that, “nearly 90% occur on dry roads during daylight hours and two-thirds are rear-end collisions.”

While farm equipment operators cannot control the speed or decisions of other drivers, they can take precautions and promote awareness, so everyone shares the road safely.