Harvest time is coming, so watch for farmers

September 20, 2016 · 0 Comments

At this time of year, Caledon OPP is reminding people driving in rural areas to be mindful of farmers who are harvesting their crops.
Motorists are urged to use caution and reduce speeds when traveling near farm vehicles and equipment. Every year, OPP responds to incidents involving farm vehicles that are struck by impatient or inattentive drivers. These collisions frequently result in personal injury and/or death and all of these crashes are preventable.
Pieces of farm equipment, such as tractors, combines and the trailers that they tow, are very large and require significant room to safely manoeuvre on the roadway. The work that local farmers do is important to all communities.
Public safety is always a focus of police and the following tips are offered for motorists using rural roadways during harvest time.
• Prepare for the fact that there may be farm equipment in use in areas where crops are being cultivated and travel below the posted or suggested speed limit.
• If you see large farm equipment on the roadway, slow down, be patient and pass only when it is safe to do so.
• Do not tailgate large farm equipment as the operator may not be able to see you.
• Do not blow your horn at the operator of the farm equipment as they likely won’t be able to hear you due to the noise produced by the equipment they’re operating.
Be mindful of farmer’s during this year’s harvest and give them the necessary room to do their work by sharing the roadways.