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Let's Go for a Drive: A View from the Combine for Harvest Season
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2023Sep 19
It's harvest season in Indiana, and across the state, 94,000 Hoosier farmers will be taking slow-moving farm equipment on Indiana's rural roads and highways to harvest their crops. Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb invites you to find out what it's like to be in the cab of a combine during harvest season. He'll show you the view as vehicles drive toward or pass the combine, as well as what it's like to maneuver past obstacles. Hoosier Ag Today, ‪@ISDAgov‬, ‪@indianastatepoliceinformat743‬, ‪@IndianaDOT‬, and ‪@indianahomelandsecurity‬ are teaming up to ask motorists to be alert, be patient, and be responsible, as you share the road with farmers this harvest season. In 2020 three vehicles were involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana which resulted in two deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The fall harvest season is certainly an exciting and busy time for farmers and motorists,” said Lamb. “By working together to practice alert driving, we can all make it home safely to our families each night.” Farm equipment during harvest season could include tractors, combines, grain carts, grain wagons and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph. The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment: • Farmers will pull over when they are able to let motorists pass, but it may take time for them to get to a safe place to do so. • Be alert. Farm equipment is wide, sometimes taking up most of the road. • Be careful when passing. Do not pass in a designated “No Passing Zone” or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevation structure or tunnel. • Do not try to pass a slow-moving vehicle on the left without ensuring that the vehicle is not planning a left turn. It may appear that the driver is pulling over for you to pass when it is actually preparing to turn. You will drive right into its path, endangering yourself and the farmer. • Avoid tailgating, as some farm equipment might have to make sudden stops along the road. • Allow plenty of time to get to a destination, be aware of alternate routes and avoid distractions. For more information on these safety tips, visit isda.in.gov. To read more about harvest season, visit hoosieragtoday.com.

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Hoosier Ag Today

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