It's that time of year, when large pieces of farming equipment once again become a common sight on area roads.
And with the reappearance of tractors and other heavy implements as they travel from farm to field to begin spring planting, there are going to be traffic delays and, worse, accidents.
“I know that it's a point of discussion at most Sheriff's Association meetings at this time of year, that a lot of farm equipment is going to be on the roads,” said Sandy Horton, Crawford County sheriff. “Everybody, those driving the farm implements and those approaching those farm implements (on the road) need to have driver courtesy in mind, have patience in mind and keep to the point of avoiding accidents.”
In 2006, for example, there were 109 road accidents involving farm equipment in the state of Kansas, according to information from the Kansas Department of Transportation. And five of those accidents resulted in at least one death.
“I would say those fatalities typically involved a tractor, a passenger vehicle hitting a tractor,” said Kerri Ebert, extension assistant in the Agricultural Safety and Health Program at Kansas State University Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
Tractors, particularly when they're hauling planters or other large equipment to the field, don't move at highway speeds. Often, when approaching from the rear, a driver can be right up on a piece of equipment almost before they have time to react, Horton said.
Horton said he could remember a couple of accidents last year that involved passenger vehicles and some type of farming equipment.
“It's something that does occur,” he said.
Motorists “need to expect to encounter farming equipment on the roadways. It's the time of year the farm implements are on the road. They have to use the road to get from point A to point B.”
All farm equipment is required to display a slow-moving vehicle sign. The reflective orange triangles attached to the rear of the vehicle are designed to serve as a first alert for motorist they are approaching a vehicle moving at less than normal highway speed.
“The most important thing, when people see slow moving equipment, is slow down,” said Dean Stites, county agriculture agent for the K-State Extension Service in Girard. “In my observation, though, a lot of people don't slow down. It doesn't really seem to register.”
Motorists also need to plan their travel, particularly at this time of year, if they're driving on side roads or narrower roads where they're more likely to encounter farm equipment. Especially on the narrower county roads, Horton said, the equipment could take up most of the travelled portion and create delays.
And that, he said, can lead to frustrated drivers and even cases of road rage. Horton also noted that, every year, farmers will call in with reports of people driving recklessly as they try to pass a piece of equipment.
“The majority of the time, farmers are real good about being aware of motorists on the roadway,” Horton said. “They'll pull off to the side of the road whenever possible and let people pass them. And I applaud them for that.”
Horton believes there are probably fewer accidents of this type in Crawford County than in other areas because it is a mostly rural area. People get used to the idea there's going to be farming equipment on the roads in the spring and fall and they learn to watch for it, he said.
“You just know they're always going to be there,” Horton said. “It's a public awareness thing. People need to stop and think about it, that we're going to be seeing a lot of equipment out here before long.”