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Ensuring a safe planting season
Spring planting means more large farm equipment on rural roadways. Indiana farmer and United Soybean Board director Mark Seib reminds travelers that those large, slow-moving vehicles are moving at a significantly slower pace. “We have to move from field to field,” he says. “That means we have to get on roads, whether it be state highways or county roads. A lot of times we run into situations where we don’t go 65 mph or 55 mph on the road – we’re going between 20 and 30 mph.”
According to the Federal Highway Administration nearly 60 percent of highway fatalities occur on rural roads.
Seib tells Brownfield farmers need to take extra precautions when moving equipment. “On our farm – we have an escort,” he says. “We put a vehicle out in front with flashing lights and flashers on – trying to make people aware that there is something big coming down the road. That’s always very important – especially when you’re moving equipment at night.”
He says farmers are trying to make the roadways as safe as possible – not only for oncoming traffic, but for them, too.
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