If you do any traveling on rural highways in Wisconsin, you shouldn’t be surprised to encounter tractors, trailers and other farm equipment on the road, especially during harvest season. And the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says that sharing the road safely is everyone’s responsibility.
While it may be tempting to make a clean pass around really slow-moving equipment, it’s unlawful to pass an agricultural vehicle in a no-passing zone. Farm equipment can also make unexpected left turns onto fields, making passing a hazard in that case.
Accidents do happen – more than 2,000 in the past five years involving farm vehicles in Wisconsin. 429 of those occurred last year according to the DOT.
The solution? Be patient and cautious around farm equipment. Scan the road ahead and be prepared to slow down or stop, and know that as much as you belong on the road, so does the farmer.
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