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Accident renews harvest safety call

A Casco woman was admitted to a hospital after crashing into a manure hauler earlier this week. No names were released, but the woman was traveling near Cherneyville and Sleepy Hollow Roads near Kewaunee when it failed to yield to a Black Creek-based manure hauler working for a nearby farm. Extension Kewaunee County agriculture agent Aerica Bjurstrom says farmers and motorists need to take proper precautions when out on the roadways.

Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski says the manure and fuel spill caused by the crash has been cleaned up. Farmers will be crisscrossing their fields over the next few weeks as it is finally getting dry enough to take their implements out into some of their fields. 

 

MORE ON HARVEST SAFETY FROM AERICA BJURSTROM

Fall brings harvest, and that means road sharing between passenger vehicles and farm equipment. Because most of the roads in Kewaunee and Door Counties are rural, practicing patience and caution can prevent a serious accident.

 

Farm vehicles can be recognized by their size and slow moving emblems displayed. Be prepared to slow down when you see these vehicles. Some may also have flashing yellow lights or a beacon strobe light. Dusk is a particularly busy time as farmers are returning from the fields this time of day.

Because some farm vehicles are not required to have turn signals and brake lights, it may seem as if the vehicle is stopping in the middle of the road, when in fact they are preparing to turn left. Please use caution and patience behind these vehicles; the most common accident occurs when a motorist thinks the vehicle is pulling over when in fact the farmer is swinging the vehicle wide to line up with a gate or driveway.

 

Farm equipment is commonly driven on the shoulder of the road to allow for better passing space for motorists. Although farm equipment operators are not required to drive on the shoulder, they typically do this as a courtesy for vehicle traffic. Be aware that farm implements driving on the shoulder may swing out into the road to go around a mailbox or other obstruction. Also this fall more than others, you may see more equipment operating at night, as many farmers will be working hard to harvest in between rain events.

 

The keys to safety when sharing the road with farm equipment are care, caution, and patience. Have a safe fall harvest and keep an eye out for your neighbors on the roads.

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