Harvest safety is no accident

Though it seems too early to talk about harvest, the reality is that much of this year’s corn crop is ready and some farmers are already heading to the fields.
That means it’s time to renew our awareness of safety practices during the harvest season – both in the fields and on the roads.
The Illinois State Police this week issued a reminder to motorists that they’ll once again be sharing the roadways with farm machinery.
We all would do well to anticipate those situations and determine to handle them respectfully and safely. It’s easy to get frustrated and take unnecessary chances when you get behind a slow-moving combine, tractor or grain truck. But taking unwise risks only injects more danger into an already dangerous season.
The state police news release noted that a majority of farm equipment and motor vehicle accidents occur when the farm equipment operator slows down to turn left and the motorist attempts to pass. Because it’s often difficult for farmers to see clearly behind them, motorists must assume more of the burden for passing safely. Make sure you have an adequate view to ensure that there is no oncoming traffic, and look ahead for driveways into fields or farms where farmers might be turning before you pull out to pass.
Another danger that will be more prevalent this year is the increased presence of all-terrain vehicles and utility-terrain vehicles on county and township roadways. State legislators recently passed a bill that restores the ability of farmers to operate those vehicles on secondary roads. Obviously, it doesn’t apply to state highways or interstates.
And there are some stipulations: Operators must have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance, and they must display a slow-moving vehicle emblem on the back of the vehicle. Helmets wouldn’t be a bad idea.
This legislation is meant to facilitate the use of those versatile vehicles in the harvest process; it’s not meant to open the floodgates for underage operators to roar up and down our back roads. That is still illegal – and incredibly dangerous.
We wish our farmers well as they launch into another harvest season. And we urge them to use utmost care as they operate dangerous machinery, and travel to and from their fields.
db