Springtime, Safe Travels

Miranda Neville, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD
What are the first signs of Spring that you notice? For some that’s seeing Robins bouncing around their yards or buds sprouting on trees, but for me it’s seeing tractors in the fields. Despite the multiple rounds of false-spring weather we’ve had, I saw the first few tilled fields while out driving through the county yesterday. An important reminder is that with those tilled fields, tractors and farming implements are not too far away. It’s also that time of year to be extra cautious on the roads, especially if you live in more rural areas. Farmers and their equipment are gearing up to spread manure and fertilizer, spring tillage (of all varieties) and plant their crop fields so here are a few important reminders for everyone traveling the roads; know your surroundings, patience is key, pass with caution.

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“Farmers have the same legal rights as other motorists to drive their vehicles on public roads.” (Source: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau “Rural Roads Safety”) Farm machinery is required to have a Slow Moving Vehicle Emblem (SMVE) on tractors and equipment that travels at speeds of 25 miles per hour or less. The SMVE reflective triangle should not be your first sign to slow down, as hazard (flashing) lights are usually also a key indicator to approach with caution. Farmers are not taking up space on the roads to intentionally inconvenience you, they are doing their jobs to provide for their farms, families, and animals. Most of the time, they aren’t travelling far from field to field, so your destination should only be delayed by a few minutes. We are all guilty of being impatient when it comes to road construction or following slow moving vehicles, but it is also important to remember that these people are moms or dads, sons/daughters, husbands/wives, so patience can mean the difference between being a few minutes late or the loss of a loved one.

Farmer’s will typically know of pull off areas where they can safely move to the side of the road to allow for traffic to pass. Do not assume that they can see you because some equipment, like silage wagons for example, are hard to see around even with large tractor mirrors. If you do have an opportunity to pass, follow all the standard passing laws, but also be sure to assess the sides of the road for stability and the width of the equipment travelling in front of you.

As the wife of a dairy farmer, I am not foreign to being a flag car when having to travel to our furthest crop fields. As a standard rule, we try to avoid transporting equipment during times when there is potential to have more traffic. Weekends and holidays are always more stressful, because we understand that you want to get to your weekend get-away, but if the sun is shining, we have hungry cows at home that require quality feed and oftentimes a narrow timeframe to get it done. Most farmers are willing to accommodate neighbors and not spread manure in the field next to your Memorial Day party, so please use the same courtesy when following behind them when they’re hauling large equipment on the roads.

For more information on tips and laws regarding “Rural Roads Safety” I recommend visiting Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s website www.pfb.com/transportation or www.pfb.com/ruralroadsafety.
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The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.