By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Harvest season is in full swing with more farm vehicles on the roads, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol is encouraging everyone to drive safely.
Jake Angle with Troop H in St. Joseph says that it's a two way street, and that it takes both normal everyday drivers, and farmers, working alongside each other to keep Missouri roadways safe.
"You know, we've just got to work together, the farmers they need to be aware obviously that they're driving slower and that they need to have flagger vehicles, they need to have if they're driving at dusk and dawn lights, slow moving emblems, things like that to make them more visible, to make them more safe," Angle tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And then our drivers need to be aware that when they're out here operating on these roadways, you know you could crest a hill and there's a combine, you could crest a hill there's a tractor with a disc on, or an anhydrous tank or something like that."
Angle adds that if you end up behind a slow moving farm vehicle, stay aware, because they may not be just slowing down to allow you to pass.
"You know a lot of times they'll slow to make a left turn into a field entrance some of these vehicles behind them they think oh they're just slowing down for me to pass them, they go to pass, the farm vehicle goes to make the left turn, and we have a traffic crash, you know we see that a lot," Angle says. "So, it's just about being aware and slowing down, giving them plenty of room."
Last year the patrol saw 199 crashes involving farm equipment statewide, two that resulted in fatalities.
Angle says that the patrol does see more crashes around harvest time involving farm equipment.
"We do see, obviously, an increase in collisions with farm type implements during harvest and planting, and that's pretty much just common sense, there's more farm implements out on the roadway, therefore a higher degree or a higher chance that there could be a collision," Angle explains.
But Angle adds that drivers just need to follow some simple steps to help minimize the number of crashes.
"Really it's about the drivers giving 100% of their attention to the job of driving, obeying all traffic laws, and also then the farmers doing their part as well," Angle says.
Angle says that farmers before hitting the roads to deliver their harvest should makes sure all equipment is equipped with flashing lights and a "slow moving vehicle" emblem.