Watch for tractors on roads
Rural Roads Safety Week raises awareness of driving safely on rural roads to reduce crashes between farm equipment and other drivers
The red Case-IH tractor rumbled to life as farmer Dave Wolfskill turned the ignition.
Pulling a 14-foot wide corn planter, Wolfskill maneuvered the imposing equipment out of his driveway and onto North Church Street.
Weighing an estimated 70,000 pounds, with its smallest tires standing over 6 feet, “It can definitely squash a car,” Wolfskill said.
And that’s the point. On April 20, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau held a demonstration on rural road safety at Wolfskill’s dairy and crop farm, MarAnne Farms, in Lower Heidelberg Township.
“As spring planting gets underway, drivers need to expect farm equipment to be on rural roads,” said Rick Ebert, president of the PFB.
Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, PennDOT and Pennsylvania State Police joined PFB to promote Rural Roads Safety Week.
Drivers are urged to slow down, be alert and be patient with tractors and other large farm equipment on the roads now.
“We’ve had a lot of close calls already,” Wolfskill said, citing the example of a driver almost hitting his son, Branden, whose escort vehicle was parked on a bridge, lights blazing.
Sometimes the car immediately behind a tractor pulls over, but the second car speeds up and tries to pass the farm equipment, Wolfskill said. One time, a car almost slid under his tractor. Another time, his combine was run off the road to avoid a head-on collision.
“We need to think beyond just the front of our hood,” said State Trooper David Beohm, public information officer for Reading Troop L.
“The last thing we want to do is harm anybody,” Wolfskill said. “We just want to get our job done.”
According to preliminary PennDOT data provided by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, there were four crashes in Berks County involving farm equipment in 2020, resulting in one fatality and one suspected serious injury.
Statewide, there were 82 crashes with nine fatalities and six suspected serious injuries involving farm equipment in 2020, according to PennDOT data.
For their part, farmers are encouraged to check their safety signage and lighting to be sure other
drivers can see them.
The fact is, the tractors are usually traveling a short distance and avoiding rush hour and other busy times.
“Accidents can be prevented if motorists and farmers look out for each other,” Ebert said.
Drivers should reduce their speed on hills, curves and at blind spots.
The state defines these big rigs as “implements of husbandry,” and they are allowed on roads within 50 miles of the farm.
The equipment keeps getting bigger, often taking up two-thirds of the road, Wolfskill said.
“We are not trying to run you off the road,” the farmer said of other drivers. “We will pull off where we can.”
Wolfskill’s plea to drivers on rural roads is to be on
the lookout for tractors and for escort vehicles, typically pickup trucks with flashing lights.
The driver of farm equipment must be at least 14, so they don’t need a driver’s license, according to state law.
Implements designed to go less than 25 MPH must have the slow moving vehicle sign; the maximum allowed width is 18 feet, according to PennDOT safety requirements.
Also, farm equipment operated at night or during periods of reduced visibility must have a headlight and hazard light system and reflectors or reflective tape on the sides.
“We’re putting food on your table,” Wolfskill said. “If we all work together, we can make it work safely.”