With harvest season underway across Illinois, the Illinois State Police is reminding motorists and farmers to use extra caution as large farm equipment travels between fields.
Farm tractors and other equipment often move at much slower speeds than regular traffic and can take up more space on rural roadways. In 2024, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported 275 crashes involving farm tractors or equipment.
ISP is encouraging motorists to keep several safety tips in mind:
- Allow extra travel time and be patient
- Increase following distance to improve sight lines when driving behind wide, slow-moving vehicles.
- Reduce speed when encountering farm equipment on public roads.
- Flashing amber lights mean ‘caution’ and orange and red reflective triangles warn motorists that farm equipment travels at slower speeds.
- It is illegal to pass in a no passing lane or within 100 feet of an intersection, railroad crossing, or bridge. Improper passing, including farm equipment, can be deadly. Be cautious when pulling back into the lane of traffic.
- Watch for the farmer’s indication of a turn. Newer equipment may have turn signals, but older equipment may not, so watch for hand signals
- For wide equipment, be prepared to yield.
Farmers traveling between fields are also encouraged to:
- Avoid rush hours and busier roadways when possible.
- Avoid driving tractors on roadways during bad weather, low visibility, and when dark.
- Use reflective marking tape and reflectors at the extremities of equipment.
- Take time to wipe off reflectors, flashing lights, and any other warning devices on equipment before entering the roadway. Equipment covered with dust/mud/debris from the field can make warning devices difficult to see.
- Pay attention to traffic backing up behind you while traveling between fields and look for opportunities to ease it. If road and shoulder conditions are safe, pull over to the right to temporarily and allow traffic to pass, giving back-ups time to clear.
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