Drivers encouraged to slow down around farm vehicles
TIFFIN, Iowa (KCRG) - Working on a farm for years, Steve Swenka knows firsthand just how dangerous driving farm equipment can be.
“You really think about it when you pull out and especially if there is somebody in that dust cloud that could potentially be going the other way that you’re not aware of, things could go from bad to worse pretty fast,” said Swenka.
It’s rare, but when farm vehicle-related crashes happen, experts say it can be deadly to all drivers involved. One researcher with the University of Iowa says it’s typically a passenger or commercial vehicle that is at fault.
“We’ve seen from a lot of crash data that a lot of the crashes happen when a passenger vehicle driver is trying to overtake a tractor, like they’re coming up from behind,” said Professor Cara Hamann with the University of Iowa.
She says the best way to avoid a tragic situation is to slow down and give that vehicle time to get off the road.
“Slowing down, make sure you give farm equipment space, and really it’s highly recommended to avoid passing them,” said Hamann.
Swenka agrees with that advice.
“I know it can be a frustration for a lot of people to get stuck behind those machines. Obviously they don’t move as fast as a car, and they probably don’t move as fast as people want them to move,” said Swenka. “The thing I want people to realize is that probably whoever is in the seat of one of those is probably in a bigger hurry than the person following them.”
As harvest season gets closer, Swenka says a deadline can be looming over farmers heads as they attempt to drive out into their field.
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