With fall harvest underway, the Wisconsin State Patrol is asking drivers and farm operators to share rural roads carefully, a message especially relevant across Northeast Wisconsin's farm country.
State figures cited by the patrol count 2,053 crashes involving farm vehicles in Wisconsin over the past five years, with 650 injuries and 28 deaths. Most occur in September, October and November, with October the busiest month.
Drivers are advised to watch ahead, slow down early for slow-moving equipment, leave extra space, and anticipate turns into fields or driveways. Passing an agricultural vehicle in a no-passing zone is illegal in Wisconsin, and any pass should be made only where legal and safe.
Farm operators are reminded to stay as far right as safely possible, meet lighting and marking requirements, and check weight limits and permit rules for the roads they use.
