Agricultural Equipment on Public Roads

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface, Acknowledgments, Executive Summary
1.0 Introduction
2.0 The Rural/Urban Traffic Interface
3.0 Federal and State Regulations
4.0 Higher Speed Tractors
5.0 Transportation of Workers on Public Roadways with Farm Equipment
6.0 Suggestions for the Future
7.0 References
8.0 List of Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension Members

PREFACE

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) promotes high priority multistate research and education/extension through its land grant university system. Multistate research projects are managed by State Agricultural Experiment Station (SAES) directors in partnership with the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) of the USDA, other research institutions and agencies, and with the Cooperative Extension Service (CES). In this way, technological opportunities and complex problem solving activities, which are beyond the scope of a single SAES, can be approached in a more efficient and comprehensive way

SAES directors are organized into four regional associations. One of these regional associations, the North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, approved the efforts of the North Central Region-197 Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension in 2000. In 2005, this committee was re-appointed under the revised name North Central Education/Extension Research Activity Committee (NCERA) 197. The work of this committee is conducted under the project title “Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension.” and published works are credited to the Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension. Though the NCR- and NCERA 197 committees were appointed by the North Central Region, the work scope and membership makeup is at a national level.

NCERA committees provide opportunity for scientists, specialists, and others to work cooperatively to solve problems that concern more than one state, share research data, and coordinate research and other types of activities. Additionally, these committees serve to integrate education (academic and/or extension) and research on a particular topic where multistate coordination or information exchange is appropriate; have expected outcomes; convey knowledge; and are peer reviewed. The duration of the committee may be up to five years. Committee membership is comprised of scientists appointed by participating state research and extension directors, USDA representatives, and other professionals with appropriate expertise and interest.

Effective solutions to the hazards and risks associated with moving agricultural equipment on public roads are not easily devised or implemented, but until all stakeholder groups become engaged in the effort, little progress can be expected. The Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension took on this project because we feel the topic is timely, problematic, wide-spread, and underappreciated by almost everyone. We hope the publication of this document provides enhanced understanding and direction to the dialog that must continue with a wide array of public and private stakeholders to improve the safety and health for people working and traveling on public roads all across rural America.

Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension
February, 2009

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health would like to thank several people who helped to develop and review various drafts of this white paper. Many, though not all, are members of the National Institute for Farm Safety (NIFS) or the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). We are particularly indebted to the NIFS organization as they let us use a Professional Development Workshop opportunity at their 2008 Annual Meeting and Conference to present a draft of the document to gain important feedback and suggestions about our white paper.

The Committee also thanks Murray Madsen, from the University of Iowa and a non committee member who provided original text on the Uniform Vehicle Code and on lighting and marking of agricultural equipment, and Marsha Hull, Graphic Artist at Penn State, for final design and layout of our document.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension was formed by the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (USDA-CSREES) North Central Regional (NCR) Administrators in 2000. The goal of the committee, designated as NCR 197, was to more effectively use the land grant system's research and extension capacity in cooperation with the experience of those who live and work in agriculture to reduce work-related injuries, illness, death, and property loss. The NCR 197 Committee produced a landmark publication in 2003 titled, National Land Grant Research and Extension Agenda for Agricultural Safety and Health: National Agenda for Action. Twelve priorities for action were identified:

1. Sensors and guarding systems.
2. Agricultural equipment on public roads
3. Agriculture confined spaces
4. Emerging technologies
5. Human factors engineering and design
6. Management of agricultural emergencies
7. Livestock handling and housing systems
8. Public policy issues
9. Capital and management intensive vs. family labor intensive operations
10. Fire detection and suppression
11. Agricultural safety education and training
12. Special populations and enterprises

In 2007, the committee chose to develop a white paper on Agricultural Equipment on Public Roads. This white paper has multiple purposes: a) to help identify research, policy and extension/outreach priorities for the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Transportation, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, state departments of agriculture, transportation and law enforcement, county government, and production agriculture based organizations; and b) to identify possible design and practice standards, goals, or guidelines for farm equipment manufacturers, standard setting organizations, and government agencies.

Issues relating to operating agricultural equipment on public roads are multi-faceted and complex. This report looks at a number of issues, however, not all issues can be examined in the same detail because the literature in some areas is at best sparse. Issues addressed in this report include rural/urban traffic interface, state and federal regulations, higher speed tractors, and transport of workers on public roadways with farm equipment. Several suggestions in the areas of research, standards, education/outreach and policy have been developed to help guide future work as a result of this review.

Research is needed to:

1. Develop criteria to better describe characteristics of crashes between motor vehicles and agricultural equipment using standard reporting terminology. This would include developing model definitions, methods, and data collection instruments. Examples of standard data elements would include:
   1. Road and visibility conditions
   2. Ages of victims
   3. Vehicle and agricultural equipment features (including type and size of equipment, whether machine or animal-drawn, and compliance with current lighting and marking, braking, and other related standards)
   4. Environmental conditions (e.g., time of day, rain, icy)
   5. Driving actions of motorists and equipment operators
   6. Whether victim(s) was operator or rider
   7. Alcohol and/or drug abuse.
2. Assess the understandability, effectiveness, and best use practices of lighting and marking of agricultural equipment on public roadways. This should include both urban and rural motorists and would focus on topics such as:
   1. Slow moving vehicle (SMV) and Speed Indicator Symbol (SIS) emblems
   2. Animal-drawn buggies, wagons and implements, including culturally acceptable lighting and marking systems for Anabaptist populations
3. Improve engineered systems for higher speed tractors, self-propelled machines and towed equipment. This would include such topics as:
   1. braking systems
   2. suspension systems
   3. steering controls
   4. hitching/attachment mechanisms
   5. proximity sensors to motor vehicles
   6. tires
   7. ROPS
4. Examine the existence and consistency of farm equipment roadway safety information in driver’s education programs across the United States.
5. Expand behavioral studies on allowing extra riders on farm equipment to include adults, and such factors as extra riders on public roads for work-related purposes.
6. Determine the effects of graduated licensing for youth to operate agricultural equipment on public roads, including higher speed tractors and self-propelled machines.
7. Examine impacts and implications of county and state land use policies regarding operation of agricultural equipment on public roadways. This would include topics such as:
   1. Risks of crashes with motor vehicles
   2. Exclusions and exemptions from road traffic regulations and restrictions
   3. Transportation of agricultural hazardous materials on rural public roads
   4. Economic issues and costs associated with heavy agricultural loads on rural public roads.

Engineering design standards should:

1. Be better connected to research findings.
2. Have better representation during their development by researchers and end-users.
3. Be used to incorporate automatic and passive protection for drivers and riders of agricultural equipment during public road use.
4. Be continually reviewed for the possibility of adoption of new technologies into design standards and practices.

Safety education programs are needed to:

1. Educate both the public and farmers on:
   1. Best practices for operating agricultural equipment on public roads.
   2. Approaching slow moving vehicles on public roads, including the purpose and use of the SMV and SIS emblems.
   3. The effects of exclusions and exemptions from road traffic regulations and restrictions.
2. Work with local and state law enforcement agencies to increase awareness of county and state traffic laws related to farm equipment among law enforcement officers.
3. Encourage Amish buggy manufacturers to utilize marking and lighting systems and components that meet current ASABE, SAE, and DOT standards.

Policy is needed to:

1. Promote the purpose and use of the SMV and SIS emblems in every state’s driver’s license manual and driver’s education program.
2. Encourage a more comprehensive Uniform Vehicle Code to be developed and adopted nationally and by states. This new code should better address modern types and uses of agricultural equipment on public roads. Topics that should be addressed include:
   1. . Registration of farm equipment for use on public roads.
   2. Qualifications and training for operating agricultural equipment on public roads.
   3. Extra riders on farm equipment, including on tractors, self-propelled machines and towed equipment.
   4. Animal-drawn buggies, wagons and equipment.
3. Provide for a consistent source of funding for research into hazards, risks and best safety practices for operating agricultural equipment on public roads.
4. Encourage land-use policies by state and local governments to better manage the interaction of farming and non-farming uses of public roadways in their jurisdiction.
5. Encourage stricter enforcement by local and state police of SMV emblem misuse.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. The frequency of the tractors tested by year that the high-gear allowed for travel speeds greater than or equal to 25 mph

Figure 2. The percentage of tractor high-gear speed for road transport tested over the last 20 years and tested last five years

---

Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More

Reviewed for NASD: 2009-02

This document is from the
North Central Education/Extension Research Activity Committee 197 Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service United States Department of Agriculture

Recommended citation: Committee on Agricultural Safety and Health Research and Extension. 2009. Agricultural Equipment on Public Roads. USDA-CSREES, Washington, DC.

---