By BECKY MARTINEZ

bmartinez@crescent-news.com

Spring planting is just around the corner, so motorists and farmers will need to exercise extra caution in sharing the roadways.

"First and foremost, drivers should recognize the slow-moving vehicle sign. That needs to be an immediate reminder that the equipment is moving 25 mph or less," said Roy Norman, organization director with the Ohio Farm Bureau for Fulton, Williams, Henry and Defiance counties. "Motorists should slow down immediately upon seeing this sign."

The slow-moving vehicle emblem is the fluorescent orange triangle motorists should be familiar with. The emblem, by law, should be placed on the rear, center of the vehicle with the point of the triangle up. These emblems need to be maintained and replaced if they are starting to fade.

Approaching motorists may not see the slow-moving vehicle emblem like motorists directly behind the equipment, but need to slow down the instant they see farm machinery on the road.

"Motorists need to know it is legal for farm equipment to take up more of the road than one side. Equipment can be left of center with what they are towing," said Norman. "Oncoming traffic needs to slow down as well anytime they see a piece of farm machinery, just like if they were behind them. A driver can't be sure how wide the machinery is."

A key for drivers is to "be patient," added Norman. "When they do pass, they need to do anything they can to create an awareness with the driver of the farm machinery. Flash their lights, sound their horn. And remember, motorists can still only pass when it's legal. They can't pass on a double yellow line and certainly should not pass at an intersection."

Also before passing, motorists should look for turn signals or flashing lights indicating the farmer is about to turn off the road. "Implements being pulled -- grain wagon, anhydrous tank -- ideally we'd like to see turn signals on those. New tractors come with them, but not all have turn signals. Look beyond what they are pulling for a signal.

"Be patient," he continued. "I try to tell people this equipment is not on the road very long. It's not going from Defiance to Fort Wayne. They are headed to a close-by field.

"Lastly, motorists need to consider most accidents with farm machinery are rear-end collisions, second are sideswipes. People don't realize the farmer is turning and they pass and have a sideswipe accident," said Norman. "There are roughly over 500 equipment/motor vehicle accidents in Ohio each year, varying degrees of severity, with maybe half a dozen fatalities in the state."

Farmers have a role in safety as well.

Norman said, "Most importantly they (farmers) need to display slow-moving vehicle signs and reflective tape on the equipment. They need to use their lights and turn signals even during the daytime hours, the more visible the better.

"Certainly, most tractors today have mirrors, it helps them to see if someone is trying to make a pass. While the equipment is sometimes wider than the lane, they should pull over whenever safe to let traffic pass. Lastly, farmers should try to manage the times they are on the road."

He explained that high-traffic periods should be avoided by agriculture producers operating equipment on the roadways. "The majority of accidents happen just after 3 p.m. -- when first shift and school let out. People are hurrying home, the sun is low, visibility may be hindered."

Off the road safety is important as well.

Norman suggests that all producers "slow down, think things through before putting yourself in a dangerous situation where you could get injured. Watch your nutrition, get adequate rest, drink plenty of fluids, basically, don't take short cuts in an operation that can get hectic at times."

The Henry County Health Department also offers these suggestions:

-- Check the lights and reflectors on powered machines and trailing equipment.

-- Make sure there is a safety chain and safety hitch pin on all equipment that will be towed.

-- Check the PTO shield and all other guards to make sure they are securely in place and not damaged.

-- Check for damage to seat belts and roll over protective structures.