Rules of the Road (News Release)

Harvest places more farm machinery on public roads as operators transport crops from field to storage.

It also results in injury to operators and motorists when collisions occur. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, 97 Iowans were injured and 15 were killed in farm-related accidents on public roadways. Of those, about 12 injuries and 2 fatalities involved non-farmers.

Here are several "rules of the road" to make this harvest a safe one on Iowa's public roads.

A motorist's rules of the road:

• Understand the situation. Tractors hauling heavy machinery or loads of grain may be able to travel only 10 miles per hour. The operator does see you, and will do his or her best to let you pass or go by.
• Be patient, even if you're in a hurry. The operator may have a good reason for not pulling to the side of the road to let you pass. Soft or uneven shoulders easily can cause a tractor to overturn. Tractor rollovers are a major cause of operator death.
• Watch the operator's hand signals and turn lights closely. Some farm vehicles make wide left turns. A tractor that appears to be pulling to the side of the road to let motorists pass, instead, may be preparing to make a left turn.

An operator's rules of the road:

• Always display slow-moving vehicle emblems. It's not only helpful to motorists, it's Iowa law. SMV emblems give motorists early warning to use caution when they approach you.
• Be aware of other motorists. Pull to the side of the road to allow other motorists to pass ONLY WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. Soft or uneven shoulders can cause you to tip.
• Signal your intent to turn. Motorists following you may think you're pulling over to allow them to pass, when you may be making a wide left turn. Avoid this situation, common to many tractor-car collisions.
• Give yourself plenty of time to turn. Oncoming traffic has less time than you to react and avoid a collision.
• Use caution when entering or leaving all public roads.

NOTE: Suitable for a general audience.