SULLIVAN CO., Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— It is harvesting season here in the Wabash Valley and the Indiana State Police want to make sure everyone is safe on the roadways.
ISP Sargent Matt Ames has some safety tips for both motorists and the farmers driving their equipment on the roads. That includes making sure drivers slow down once they see the piece of equipment on the road in front of them, make sure to find a safe way to pass the equipment when possible, and don’t pass the equipment while in an intersection.
Sgt. Ames also encourages the farmers to make sure they have their hazard and slow-moving lights on at all times and even have a vehicle with them with their hazards on during the nighttime to help. Sgt. Ames also wants to make sure people are especially safe on and county roads.
“When you do come up on a large piece of equipment such as a combine, and you’re going on one of the county roads, a lot of times you don’t know what that farmer’s going to do,” Sgt. Ames said. “He may be getting ready to make a left turn or a right turn into the field. The farmer typically is going to try to find an avenue or an area that he’s going to be able to pull off safely for his piece of equipment in a safe area for you to get around. So please just be a courteous motorist, please drive with patients and get around that piece of farm equipment easily and safely as possible.”
Sgt. Ames also mentioned that the peak time for farmers traveling on the roadways is during the evening time as they finish up their work for the day or go from one field to another to continue working. There is also a state law in Indiana that doesn’t allow motorists to pass a piece of farming equipment within 100 feet of railroad tracks and another Indiana law that requires the farmers to move over and allow traffic to pass them safely once they have three or more motorists behind them on the road.
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