Collisions of farm equipment on public highways is a leading cause of death related to farming. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration maintains a Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) that depends upon state-collected data. Even though the system reported 133 fatal incidents with farm equipment on the highways in the year 2000, this number is likely an undercount. One reason for this undercount is the lack of a requirement to register farm equipment vehicles, such as tractors and combines, within the states. States vary in how or whether they report unregistered vehicle incidents into FARS. Furthermore, the reports for the incidents that are in FARS contain incomplete data. Licensing of drivers of farm equipment is typically not required. One consequence of this policy is that youth of any age can drive this equipment on public highways. Several improvements are needed to understand and reduce fatalities related to farm equipment collisions on roadways. FARS needs to better report farm equipment-related fatalities. Other improvements include automobile driver awareness of slow-moving vehicles on rural roads, licensing of operators who drive the equipment on public highways, improvement of marking and lighting of this equipment, and the installation of roll-over protection structures and use of seatbelts on this equipment.
Learning Objectives: 1. Articulate major omissions in reporting fatality data related to farm equipment collisions. 2. Describe the farm equipment maneuvers on public highways that place the driving public at highest risk. 3. List five methods that could improve safety on rural roadways where farm equipment is transported.
Keywords: Safety, Agricultural Work Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.