This May long weekend is always an eagerly anticipated event, but it also comes at a time when farmers are beginning the spring planting season.
That means there will be more cars on the road in addition to tractors and other large farm equipment as farmers move between fields and farms to get their crops planted. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has launched an awareness campaign for farmers and motorists to help all of us prevent accidents.
Tracey Arts is an OFA director and Zorra Township farmer and explained this weekend will be an active one for motorists and farmers alike.
“It’s the time of year but there will be more people driving, going to cottages, visiting friends, and the long weekend is a nice time to take the family on a mini vacation. We will see an increase in the number of vehicles in rural areas.”
She added increased traffic combined with the start of the corn-planting season means a busy time for everyone sharing the road.
“We are trying to get that crop in and we are on a time constraint. We are all busy, we are all in a hurry. We aren’t on the roads because we want to be, it’s because we have to be there to get to our fields.”
The OFA would like everyone to take a step back and consider what it means for motorists and farmers to share the road.
“We aren’t there to be mean, we aren’t there to make you have a crappy day and slow you down. Our tractors aren’t made to go 100 km/hr. They are made to go 40 or less because we don’t need to do that in a field,” she added. “Slow down, take a deep breath and think, ‘Hey, these are the people who provide food. They also have families to get home to.”
Arts explained farm machinery legally cannot drive any faster than 40 km/hr. Many sideroads in Oxford County like the 16th Line don’t have shoulders, making it nearly impossible to pass a large tractor. Arts said they aren’t even legally allowed to pull off to the side of the road to allow people to pass. Const. Randi Crawford is the Oxford OPP media relations constable and said those driving farm machinery need to follow rules just like any other driver.
“If a farm vehicle has a slow-moving vehicle sign visible, that means the vehicle can only travel at 40 km/hr. Other motorists must slow down and can only pass or overtake the farm vehicle only when it is safe to do. When displaying a slow-moving vehicle sign, speeds cannot exceed 40 km/hr.”
She added police also have a message for drivers as the long weekend approaches.
“The OPP advise all drivers, including farmers, to be mindful of their driving behaviours and make sure they are following the rules of the road and that their vehicles are in good, safe, working condition. Drivers are encouraged to allow extra time when travelling on the long weekend and to be considerate of other drivers on the roads.”
Crawford added farmers have a job to do and motorists need to get to and from their jobs.
“It is imperative we all work together to share the roads.”
According to federal government data, slow-moving vehicles are 3.8 to 4.8 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision per kilometre on the road than other motor vehicles. Passenger vehicles incorrectly passing farm equipment can result in serious accidents or death, with statistics showing eight out of 10 accidents occur during the day and seven out of 10 occur in dry road conditions. Arts said she doesn’t want to see any more deaths.
“That’s the reality. These accidents can be fatal and it isn’t worth your life for that extra few minutes. How many times have you passed a vehicle or had a vehicle pass you and you’ve met at the next stop sign? A farmer doesn’t travel that far on the road to get to the field and letting them turn into it won’t take that much time for you.”
By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
