NY Farm Bureau Launches Road Safety Campaign to Reduce Farm Vehicle Accidents

NY Farm Bureau Launches Road Safety Campaign to Reduce Farm Vehicle Accidents

Public service campaign reminds 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 - and that means more large farm equipment, like tractors, will be on the roads. New York Farm Bureau reminds drivers to be cautious and share the road as the organization launches its annual road safety campaign.

In New York State, crashes involving farm equipment are among the deadliest. A New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) study conducted in 2019 found that crashes involving farm vehicles are five times more likely to be fatal than non-agricultural crashes.

Of the agriculture-related incidents, the most common was a collision with another vehicle. This event comprised more than 80 percent of the crashes. NYCAMH attributed many of these incidents to non-agriculture vehicles attempting to pass slower-moving agriculture machinery on straightaways.

To remind drivers to be aware of slow-moving vehicles and take careful steps to avoid a crash, New York Farm Bureau created and produced two public service announcement videos. One video features a reenacted accident, made in partnership with Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck, which can be viewed at bit.ly/SharetheRoad25. The other video features 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. That video can be viewed at bit.ly/SharetheRoad25-2.

New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, "This is the time of year when farmers are planting their fields, so there are more tractors and large equipment on the road. I urge drivers to be patient and follow the rules of the road. Pay attention, approach farm vehicles slowly, and pass them only when safe to do so. We all want to get where we're going safely and on time, but remember: A little patience can save a life."

Joe Tyler of El-Vi Farms in Newark, NY, said, "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've got a job to do, and we all have families to go home to."

Tips for drivers:

• 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 common to most rural New York roadsides can cause potentially fatal rollovers for tractors.
• Be alert for vehicles behind you, especially when turning.

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New York Farm Bureau is the state's largest general agricultural advocacy organization. Its members and the public know the organization as "The Voice of New York Agriculture." New York Farm Bureau is dedicated to solving the economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural community.