CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. — The Virginia Farm Bureau and Campbell County Sheriff's Office have launched a campaign asking drivers to slow down and share the road with farm equipment during the busy harvest season.
The partnership comes as farmers are actively moving equipment on local roads, creating potential hazards for both motorists and agricultural workers, WDBJ reported.
"Springtime through fall, you're dealing with hay. Then, like right now, you're harvesting wheat, so you got a lot of combines and equipment moving," said Chris Thompson, a local farmer and member of the Virginia Farm Bureau.
Thompson has experienced several close calls with vehicles while operating farm equipment on public roads.
"I've had some close calls where luckily I wasn't hit, and the person was able to save the vehicle as they ran off the road," Thompson said.
The safety campaign includes banners placed throughout Campbell County reminding drivers to slow down when they see tractors and to share the road responsibly.
According to the National Safety Council, approximately 15,000 farm vehicles are involved in crashes each year in the United States. The CDC reports that transportation incidents were the leading cause of death for farm workers in 2022.
L.T. Guthrie, Campbell County Sheriff's Office Major, emphasized that farm vehicles have the same rights to use roadways as other vehicles.
"They have a right to be on the highway, just like other motor vehicles," Guthrie said. "So it's important to recognize that these vehicles are moving at a much slower speed. Also, they aren't afforded the same protections that people in automobiles are."
Officials recommend drivers maintain a safe distance behind tractors and only pass when it's both safe and legal to do so.
As housing developments expand into previously rural areas, the risk of accidents involving farm equipment increases.
"The gap between agricultural land and subdivisions is narrowing and a lot more traffic around what was previously agricultural land, as some of these properties are being developed," Guthrie explained. "So the chance for encounters between motor vehicles and farm equipment is certainly increasing."
The safety campaign will continue through the end of the farming season this fall.
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