The Illinois State Police is reminding motorists and farmers about traffic safety as Illinois enters the fall harvest season.  Agriculture is one of the leading industries in Illinois and farmers across the state will be moving equipment along roadways during the harvest season, which typically begins in early September and can last into November.   

As farmers are traveling between fields, ISP is reminding motorists and farmers alike to share the road to help reduce crashes involving tractors, implements, and other farm equipment.  ISP encourages motorists to share the road and be patient, allow extra travel time during harvest season, don’t pass until it’s safe and legal to do so, use extra caution around tractors and slow-moving vehicles, and adjust to a greater following distance to increase sight lines when following behind wide, slow-moving vehicles. 

ISP encourages farmers to also do their part by taking time to wipe off reflectors, flashing lights, and other warning devices, understand motorist sight lines are reduced and look for opportunities to move over right when possible, pay attention to traffic backing up while traveling between fields and look for opportunities to ease them, reduce the width of combines by removing harvesting heads, and remember farm machinery cannot be driven or towed on controlled-access highways. 

By sharing the road and making safety a priority, motorists and farmers can work together to ensure a safe fall harvest.