Road safety during harvest

Aug 21, 2019

Vehicle and equipment operators need to look out for one another, a Sask. farmer said

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Harvest is underway in Saskatchewan, which means farm equipment and regular vehicles will be sharing the road.

About 13 per cent of farm-related fatalities across Canada are traffic related, the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance program says.

Members of the ag industry are reminding motorists to be patient and give farmers the space they need to manoeuvre large machinery.

“Be patient, slow down, wait for your opportunity to pass and do so safely,” Tyler McMurchy, manager of media relations for Saskatchewan Government Insurance, told Northeast Now. “Keep in mind the person driving (the farm equipment) may not be able to see you, so give them plenty of room. They may not be able to signal their intent to slow down, so it’s incumbent on drivers to slow down and anticipate any sudden movements.”

Ensuring everyone who shares the roads gets home safely each night is a joint responsibility.

Farmers and motorists need to work together to create safe driving conditions, said Dan Danielson, a cash crop producer from Eston, Sask.

“Both sides have to look out for one another,” he told Farms.com. “If a piece of farm equipment and a car end up in an accident, everybody in those vehicles could wind up not going home. It’s everybody’s responsibility to make sure we all have safe days on the road.”

Ag for Life has tips for farmers and motorist on how to share the road.

Farmers, for example, could use pilot vehicles and extra reflectors to make machinery more visible, while motorists could stay back at least 50 feet (15 metres) when following behind farm equipment.

Video: Women in Ag. The Promotion of Female Farmers through Social Media | Madalyn Thayer | TEDxBGSU

Less than 1% of Americans are farmers. The majority of those farmers are men. Many people have minimal experience with farms and agriculture. High schools are getting rid of their FFA programs and many colleges, including BGSU, do not have agricultural programs or classes. There is a new social media phenomenon where women are making content based on their farming endeavors and gaining lots of traction. Education is the one of the most important parts of agriculture, because the more people know the more they will emphasize with farmers and create policy that benefits everybody. Female farmers have taken to social media sharing their experience in the agricultural world. These women are breaking stereotypes and educating everyday citizens about farming which is extremely important for the future of agriculture. Madalyn is 19 years old and will be gradated with her bachelors degree in communication on December 2024. She lives on a farm and have spent lots of time working in agriculture. She has her own farmers market and love learning about all subjects, especially agriculture. She was on the BGSU Firelands Student government from 2021-2023 as a CCP Ambassador and was awarded the 3&1 communication excellency award in April of 2024. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.