By Curt Jacobs
Geneseo Current
Harvest season is almost here. Before long, there will be more tractors, combines, grain carts, wagons, and semis traveling the roads throughout Henry County.
Recently, I read a social media post from a farmer who was pulling a wagon down the road when an oncoming car came partially into his lane. Based on what he saw, the other driver appeared to be distracted, possibly by a phone.
The farmer had to make a split-second decision. He swerved onto the shoulder to avoid a head-on collision, and his tractor rolled over. Thankfully, he was able to get out safely, but the tractor was badly damaged.
That situation could have ended much worse.
It is a reminder of how quickly a few seconds of distraction can change someone’s life. When a driver crosses the centerline, the person coming from the other direction has to react. If that person is driving a tractor and pulling a loaded wagon, there may not be a safe place for them to go.
Farm equipment is large, heavy, and slow. It does not stop or maneuver like a car or pickup. The operator may also be dealing with narrow shoulders, bridges, mailboxes, utility poles, soft ground, or limited visibility. Moving over is not always as simple or as safe as it may look from behind the equipment.
As farmers, we understand that slow-moving equipment can be frustrating. People have jobs to get to, appointments to keep, children to pick up, and families waiting at home. We do our best to stay out of the way whenever we can. We use flashing lights, reflectors, turn signals, and slow-moving vehicle signs to help other drivers see us.
However, we still have to use the roads to travel from one field to another. There is no other practical way for us to get our work done.
All we are asking for is a little patience and your full attention.
Please put the phone down and keep your eyes on the road. Even if you are using your phone hands-free, make sure the conversation is not pulling your attention away from driving. A tractor or combine could be just over the next hill or around the next curve.
When you come up behind farm equipment, slow down early. The distance between you and a slow-moving tractor can disappear much faster than you might expect. Do not wait until the last second to hit the brakes.
Before passing, make sure you can clearly see the road ahead and have enough room to get completely around the equipment. A tractor pulling wagons or a large implement may be much longer and wider than it first appears.
Do not assume that a farmer moving toward the right side of the road is asking you to pass. The operator may be getting ready to make a wide left turn into a field entrance. Watch for turn signals, hand signals, driveways, and field entrances before going around.
Drivers should also use extra caution when farm equipment is entering or leaving a field. Combines and grain carts often need to swing wide to make a turn. Semis hauling grain need more room to turn, accelerate, and stop. Dust near a field entrance can also reduce visibility, especially during a dry harvest.
Farmers have a responsibility in this, too. We need to make sure our lights, reflectors, turn signals, mirrors, and slow-moving vehicle signs are clean and working. We need to secure our loads, pay attention, and do everything we can to avoid creating unnecessary hazards.
Sharing the road safely takes effort from all of us.
When you find yourself behind a tractor, it may feel as though you are losing a lot of time. In reality, waiting until it is safe to pass will probably cost you only a few minutes. Those few minutes are nothing compared with the time that can be lost—or the lives that can be changed—because of a serious accident.
Agriculture is a part of everyday life here in Henry County, even for people who are not directly involved in farming. The crops grown in the fields around us become livestock feed, fuel, food ingredients, and many of the products we use every day.
Some of the corn I grow is used to make snack foods that are sold right here in Henry County. There is a real connection between the equipment you see traveling down the road, the fields in our community, and some of the products sitting on your kitchen shelves.
Behind the wheel of that tractor is also a person. It may be your neighbor, friend, parent, spouse, son, daughter, or grandparent.
We are trying to get our work done, just as you are trying to get where you need to go. At the end of the day, we want to get home safely to our families, too.
Harvest already brings long days, changing weather, equipment problems, and pressure to get the crop out while conditions are right. A little patience and attention from everyone using the road can keep a demanding season from becoming a tragic one.
Farmers are not asking for special treatment. We are simply asking drivers to give us enough room to operate safely and to recognize that we all have to share the road.
Slow down. Put the phone away. Pay attention before you pass. Give farm equipment the room it needs.
Most importantly, let’s work together to make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day.