Sharing the Road with Farm Harvest Equipment

October 20, 2014

Marshall County - The Marshall County Sheriff's Office wants to remind drivers to be aware of the farm machinery on the roads during the busy harvest season. The harvest season started much later this year, so there will be several more weeks of harvest traffic in this area. Most farm tractors and implements are much larger and heavier than the average car or truck. Drivers should also be aware that trucks and farm tractor trailers will be turning in and out of farm field drives where drivers aren't used to seeing turning traffic.

Farmers can also do their part to help improve the safety of their equipment on the roadway by ensuring that all warning lights and reflectors are in place and working properly and keeping mirrors and windows clean to allow the operator to safely see other motorists on the roadways. It's also important to remember for operators of the slow-moving vehicles to use turn signals and visually check before making turns to ensure that nobody is passing. Farmers should make sure to use amber warning flashers when driving slow-moving farm equipment on the roadways after dark.

Fall harvest is a busy season in rural areas like Marshall County. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to keeping the roadways safe for everyone including the motorists and those in the agricultural community. Everyone needs to do their part to be safe and get to their destination or farm without being involved in a crash. We work toward the state-wide goal of "Zero Fatalities" on Iowa roadways. This motto is often said to be "unrealistic" considering several hundred people die on Iowa roadways each year; but when asked how many traffic deaths in your family are acceptable?-The answer is ZERO and that is a goal we can all live with.

About Marshall County Sheriff's Office
The Marshall County, Iowa Sheriff's Office is headed up by Sheriff Ted G. Kamatchus. Sheriff Kamatchus is committed to keeping communities and neighborhoods safe in Marshall County.

For additional information or a sample copy, contact:
Deputy Ben Veren, Traffic Safety Officer
Marshall County Sheriff's Office
641-754-6380
Fax 641-754-6325
Sheriff@co.marshall.ia.us
www.marshallcountysheriff.com

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