Five seconds. That’s how quickly a car driving 55 miles an hour can close a gap the size of a football field between it and a tractor on a roadway.

During the spring, farm machinery moving 15 to 25 miles per hour is a common sight on roadways that can frustrate hurried motorists. Rather than rushing to pass, Alabama Cooperative Extension System agents urge drivers who find themselves behind slow-moving vehicles to practice patience. This prudent behavior can even be life-saving.

“In my area, someone tried to pass a tractor in a turn lane and then crashed. The person disobeyed traffic laws and was in too big of a hurry, which unfortunately led to their death,” said Christy Hicks, an Alabama Extension agronomic crops agent serving counties in east and central Alabama. “We live in a world that seems to rush everywhere, but we have to ask ourselves what is most important. The most important thing is that everyone, including farmers, gets home safely to their families.”

A similar accident happened last year in the Wiregrass in southeast Alabama, an area served by Alabama Extension Agronomic Crops Agent Aaron Wells.

“A driver ran into a sprayer on U.S. Highway 431. Thankfully, everyone was OK,” Wells said. “Accidents like that one happen because people have a hard time estimating travel speed of farm equipment. Tractors and combines move a lot slower than they’re anticipating. They get so close, so fast that it’s almost impossible to stop.”

Times of Year and Types of Equipment
Extension Agronomic Crops Agent Blake Lanton, who serves counties in west Alabama, said other drivers need to know that farmers have the right to move equipment on roads. That includes rural roads, state highways and even U.S. highways.

“It’d be easy if all farmers could own one contiguous block of land, but that’s not the way it is,” Lanton said. “Farmers may have up to 50 fields that are 10, 20 or more miles apart. Everybody is always in a hurry, but farmers are in a bigger time crunch than anybody else. They have a small window of time to get their crops planted.”

Corn planting begins as early as mid-March in south Alabama and continues through April. By May, farmers have moved to planting peanuts, cotton and soybeans. Even into June, it’s common to see tractors pulling implements like planters, plows or field cultivators. Even though a typical 12-row planter folds up for transportation, it can still be as wide or wider than a standard lane.

By late spring and into early summer, Alabama farmers may need to drive combines on the road to finish harvesting winter crops such as wheat and oats. Farmers must also transport sprayers between fields to help keep weeds, insects and diseases out of their crops.

Improving the Experience
While farmers have a right to the road, Wells emphasized that moving equipment is a task farmers usually do not enjoy.

“Growers don’t want to be on the roadway any longer than they have to,” Wells said. “With the sheer size of equipment and the amount of traffic on roads, it’s not something farmers want to do, but it is a necessity.”

Thankfully, there are simple ways everyone can work to improve roadway safety during planting season. Hicks, Wells and Lanton offer the following suggestions for motorists and farmers.

Tips for Motorists
Be Patient
Six minutes. That’s the time it takes for a tractor moving 20 miles an hour to travel two miles. While it may feel like a long time, Hicks said a little patience goes a long way.

“Put yourself in the farmer’s shoes and think how you’d feel if you had to move big equipment in order to get a crop planted or harvested,” she said. “Farmers produce the food and fiber we need every day. It’s worth it to be kind and courteous.”

Regular rules of the road apply. Only pass farm machinery in passing zones. It is illegal to pass in a turn lane or emergency lane.

Look for Obstacles
Farm machinery is wide, and that means farmers may have to move over into the next lane to avoid mailboxes, street signs and trash cans.

“I hated moving equipment on trash days,” Lanton said. “An equipment operator is paying attention to all of those obstacles, not just other cars. It’s good for other drivers to keep that in mind. Say you’re in a passing zone, but there’s also a big sign on the right side of the road. It will be better to wait to pass until the farm equipment has made it past that sign and can get back further to the right.”

Also, avoid passing on bridges where there is little to no shoulder.

Wait for Left-Hand Turns
Often, farmers slow down or pull to the side of the road, when it’s safe, to allow others to pass. However, machinery operators also slow down before making a left turn. Wells said left turns are often dangerous.

“Accidents happen every year because a motorist thinks the farmer is slowing down to allow them to pass, but they’re really slowing down to make a left-hand turn,” Wells said. “Pay attention to brake lights and turn signals. Remember, the machinery operator might have to use hand signals. Also, take a look to your left and check for any field entrances.”

Talk to Teen Drivers
Wells said parents should consider ways they can prepare newly licensed drivers for the machines they might encounter on rural roads.

“Student drivers are most likely to not have experience with slow-moving vehicles,” Wells said. “Parents should make sure their youth drivers know how to approach farm equipment and the correct way to drive around it. Make sure they know it’s important to follow posted speed limits, especially in agricultural areas.”

Slow-moving vehicles should have a reflective orange triangle sign visible from the back of the machine. Wells said to make sure teenage drivers know that sign means the vehicle’s top speed is 25 miles per hour or slower.

Additional Tips for Farmers
— Attach slow-moving vehicle signs to tractors and equipment. Replace faded signs.
— Ensure all turn signals, brake lights and warning lights are in working order.
— Wear a seatbelt.
— Before making a left turn, double-check for motorists who are attempting to pass.
— When possible, use an escort or lead car.

Final Reminders
According to the most recent U.S. Census of Agriculture, Alabama is home to 62,777 farmers. While that’s less than 1 percent of the state’s population, Lanton said it’s important to remember how vital their work is.

“These farmers are making a living, but they are also making the world turn, too,” Lanton said. “You are benefitting in some way from a farmer moving his equipment up and down the road. We have to be more mindful of what they’re doing and practice patience.”

To learn more about all aspects of farm safety, visit the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety at necasag.org.