Fall Harvest and Road Safety: Let's Make it a Bountiful Year

Reducing Farm Vehicle-Involved Collisions with ECCO's Ag Safety Solutions

Harvesting season can be a dangerous time for both farm workers and drivers as tractors and other motorized agricultural equipment traverse public roadways. The York News Times, a local Nebraska newspaper, recently reminded its readers that in 2016, there were 417 fatalities reported for agricultural workers. According to the CDC, over 20% of these tragic incidents were attributed to farm vehicle-related crashes. Alert drivers and agricultural vehicles fitted with warning lights and safety equipment can reverse a concerning trend.

A Growing Problem

Traffic crashes involving farm equipment are increasing in number and severity as urban and suburban sprawl push population density into traditionally rural communities. A study from the Great Plain Center for Agricultural Health estimates that in just nine states, over 1,400 collisions involving farm vehicles occur every year on average. Nearly half were reported between September and December, during peak harvesting season.

Of the thousands of crashes reported, nearly a quarter involved a rear-end collision. Tractors and motorized farm equipment travel slower than most commercial vehicles. They may take up more room in a lane of travel and are not as prevalent on public roads for the rest of the year. The average driver tends to have more difficulty gauging the relative speed and distance of these types of vehicles. Given the size and sometimes minimal safety equipment installed on older equipment, collisions can be particularly dangerous for everyone involved.

Plowing Forward

Believe it or not, up until 2016 few state laws and even fewer federal regulations were on the books to address farm workers’ safety on the road. Most are familiar with the big orange triangle affixed to the back of slow-moving vehicles. This was about the only nationally recognized, roadway safety requirement for decades. Mid-western states tended to have more stringent rules, but they varied in terms of the type of markings required and what, if any, vehicle lighting was installed.

In 2016, the Department of Transportation borrowed standards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and implemented 49 CFR Part 562. Aside from going to great lengths to define what a tractor is, the regulation was the first to mandate warning lights for agricultural equipment when operating on public roads. Farm vehicles had to be visible from the front and rear. In addition to that lonely orange triangle, the regulation added reflective tape, headlights, stop lights, turn signals and at least two flashing amber warning lights.

As the Great Plains Center demonstrates, added lighting requirements actually work to reduce farm vehicle-involved collisions. It makes intuitive sense: increased visibility gives drivers more lead time to react and navigate around the slower moving vehicle.

Making Safety an Easy Row to Hoe

ECCO keeps farmers road ready and highly visible during harvest season and all year round. Amber and white beacons give other drivers advanced warning. Operators can easily see the road and conditions ahead with a wide selection of white lighting products. Back-up alarms alert surrounding workers and camera systems offer a second set of eyes while maneuvering heavy equipment. Protecting workers and keeping the public safe is ECCO’s mission.

Some extra attention and care out on the road paired with ECCO’s line of safety solutions can make this harvest season the safest and most productive one yet.