Indiana drivers on rural roads face increased risks for collisions with moving farm equipment such as open-bed trucks, tractors, plows, balers, and other agricultural equipment.
Safety Tips for Driving on Rural Roads
While Indiana’s rural roads present dangers to drivers year-round, the risk of serious accidents is higher during harvest season when farm vehicles are on the roadways. At this time of year, drivers are likely to encounter a variety of large, moving agricultural equipment like tractor-trailers, balers, and plows that takes up more than one lane, block oncoming traffic, and travel at very slow speeds.
Drivers who encounter moving farm vehicles must exercise caution and pay close attention to the road. Since many rural roads are only two lanes, passing may not be possible due to blocked vision and limited space to pass safely. To avoid deadly collisions, motorists and farm vehicle operators must follow important safety tips:
Share the Road
Most farm equipment is massive in size, so it typically takes up more than one lane. In many cases, passenger vehicles must merge over towards the edge of the roadway or emergency lane to provide adequate space between the vehicle and the farm equipment.
Farm vehicles usually travel during the day to deliver products or machinery to rural farms and businesses. When traffic is heavy or gets backed up, farm vehicle operators must pull off to one side of the road to let motorists pass safely. This decreases the danger of passing accidents and ensures a safe flow of traffic.
Slow Down
Although approaching farm vehicles on rural roads may be frustrating to motorists, passing blindly or speeding up to get around the equipment may prove deadly. When encountering moving farm vehicles and agricultural equipment, drivers must slow down and exercise caution to avoid serious collisions and injuries.
Stay Calm and Patient
Most farm vehicles do not exceed 25 mph when traveling on the road, so motorists must remain calm and exercise patience. When approaching these vehicles, motorists should not tailgate, honk their horns, or create conflict that may escalate to violence. Indiana is full of farmlands and rural roads, so drivers are likely to encounter moving farm vehicles, especially during annual harvest season.
Indiana accident lawyers often handle personal injury claims for motor vehicle accidents involving farm vehicles in rural areas. In some cases, motorists suffer severe injuries or fatalities that result in wrongful death lawsuits based on negligence of farm equipment operators.