Photo: dreamstime.com

By Shaun Penner

Farm Vehicles

County reminding drivers to use caution as farm vehicles hit the road

May 11, 2020 | 2:30 PM

With seeding and combining underway, the County of Grande Prairie is reminding drivers to use extra caution around farm vehicles on County roads.

Drivers will likely notice more and more farm vehicles travelling between fields over the next few weeks. With farm equipment being larger and much slower-moving, drivers are asked to have patience and use extra caution as they attempt to get around them.

Most collisions that occur with farm vehicles, according to the County, are when vehicles follow too closely behind or when they try to pass a farm vehicle that is in the process of turning.

“We know that each year, unsafe driving around equipment leads to collisions,” said Sonja Raven, County of Grande Prairie Agricultural Fieldman. “It only takes a few minutes to play it safe around farm equipment and reduce your speed.”

A report from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association says that 13 per cent of all farm-related fatalities are caused by traffic accidents, the most common of which involve left turns, passing and rear-end collisions.

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With that, drivers are also reminded that large farm vehicles often cannot move over to allow following motorists to pass due to their size and limited functionality.

Some tips the County offers to keep motorists and farm vehicle operators safe include:

• Be alert and watch for farm vehicles on our roads, especially during seeding and harvest.
• Immediately reduce your speed as soon as you see a slow-moving farm vehicle.
• Keep in mind that drivers of farm vehicles have extremely limited visibility behind and beside them.
• Until it is safe to pass, stay a minimum of 15 metres behind slow-moving equipment.
• Do not attempt to pass farm equipment or vehicles until the road is clear and you are sure it is safe.
• When passing, make sure you can see the farm vehicle in your rear-view mirror before you proceed back into the right lane.