It happens every fall in Northeast Iowa.
The corn begins to dry. The fields start changing color. Silage choppers get busy, combines begin appearing, and tractors, wagons and grain trucks become a much more familiar sight on our country roads.
And with another harvest season getting underway, it’s time for one of those reminders that may seem simple, until the day it saves a life.
Slow down. Give them room. And please, be patient.
The Iowa Department of Transportation reminds drivers that large and slow~moving vehicles such as farm equipment are common on rural roads. They can be traveling much slower than the vehicle coming up behind them, which means that distance can disappear awfully quickly.
When you see farm machinery ahead:
Slow down early.
Don’t wait until you are right behind the equipment to hit the brakes.
Leave plenty of following distance.
Give yourself time to react and give the farmer room to maneuver.
Don’t assume it’s safe to pass.
Farm equipment can be wider than the roadway, and operators may not be able to see a vehicle tucked close behind them.
Watch carefully for wide turns.
A tractor or combine that moves toward the right side of the road may actually be getting ready to make a wide left turn into a field or driveway.
Don’t expect heavy equipment to simply pull onto the shoulder.
Soft, steep or unstable shoulders may not safely support equipment weighing many tons.
And please remember that a few minutes behind a tractor isn’t the end of the world.
Trying to shave off those few minutes by passing when the road isn’t clear can change somebody’s world forever.
Because inside that tractor, combine or grain truck isn’t simply “a farmer holding up traffic.”
It’s somebody’s husband or wife.
Somebody’s mom or dad.
Somebody’s son or daughter.
Somebody’s neighbor.
Somebody who has probably already put in a long day and is simply trying to get from one field to the next ~ and eventually get home safely.
So when you come over a hill or around a curve and find a slow-moving piece of farm equipment ahead of you, ease off the accelerator.
Take your time.
Wait until you have a clearly safe and legal opportunity to pass.
And remember:
The few minutes you lose may help make sure somebody gets home to the people waiting for them.
Here’s to a safe harvest season for our farmers ~ and safe travels for everyone sharing Northeast Iowa’s roads. 🌽🚜❤️
Deliverance Hope ~ word-round-town.com
Sources: Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Photo note: Digitally created image to reflect harvest season on Iowa roads. Not a real photo.
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