A2753 would implement ag equipment safety into classroom driver education
Lawmakers are working to provide drivers with the proper education about sharing the road with farm machinery.
In New Jersey, bipartisan bill A2753 directs the departments of agriculture and transportation to develop educational materials like safety videos to be posted online, at Motor Vehicle Commission locations, and in additional spaces.
“The bill would also incorporate farm equipment safety into classroom driver education and informational materials provided to parents of beginning drivers under 18,” an Oct. 22 statement from the NJ Assembly GOP says.
In addition, the bill directs the department of agriculture to assess roadway risks involving farm equipment and to provide safety recommendations.
Multiple states have unique rules governing sharing roads with farm equipment.
In Wisconsin, for example, it’s illegal to pass a piece of farm equipment in designated no-passing zones, which are marked with a double yellow line or other signage.
And in New Jersey, motorists approaching a slow-moving vehicle with the associated SMV triangle are to reduce their speed before attempting to pass, except on roads with at least two lanes travelling in the same direction.
"How many drivers actually know that's the law? Or that farm equipment has a legal right to operate on public roads?" New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said. "These machines are often wide, move at 25 miles per hour or less, and need additional room to turn. Impatience or a bad decision behind the wheel can have devastating consequences."
Incidents involving farm equipment usually involves a passenger vehicle.
A study released in 2007 looking at 10 years of roadway collision data showed more than 80 percent of crashes involving farm machinery also involved a non-farm passenger or commercial vehicle.
And Michigan State Police data shows more than 100 crashes involving farm equipment have occurred in that state in 2026.