Agriculture Secretary Encourages Motorists to be Patient and Cautious
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Spring is here and the planting season is starting throughout much of Maryland. That means motorists traveling Maryland highways and rural roads may find themselves sharing the road with the large, slow-moving farm equipment from one of Maryland’s 12,300 farms.
“Farmers are legally allowed to operate farm equipment on public roadways and there are times when farm vehicles must operate on highways to move between farm and field,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “I encourage all motorists to be patient when traveling on roads near Maryland farms and drive with caution to ensure the safety of motorists and farmers.”
A farmer understands that your trip is being delayed, so he or she will pull off of the road at the first available safe location to allow you to pass. Do not assume that the farmer can immediately move aside to let you pass. Road shoulders may be soft, wet or steep, and this can cause a farm vehicle to tip, or the shoulder may be unable to support a heavy farm vehicle.
The following tips will help ensure the safety of motorists, passengers, and operators of slow-moving equipment:
- If a farmer has pulled off the road to allow you to pass, or if he or she cannot pull off the road and you feel you must pass, do so with caution.
- Be watchful of vehicles behind you that may also try to pass.
- If you must enter the oncoming lane of traffic, do not pass unless you can see clearly ahead of both you and the vehicle you will pass.
- If there are any curves or hills ahead that may block your view or the view of oncoming vehicles, do not pass.
- Do not pass if you are in a designated “No Passing Zone” or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevation structure, or tunnel.
- Do not assume that a farm vehicle that pulls to the right side of the road is going to turn right or is letting you pass. Due to the size of some farm implements, the farmer must execute wide left-hand turns. If you are unsure, check the operator’s hand signals and check the left side of the road for gates, driveways or any place a farm vehicle may turn.
For more information about agriculture in Maryland, visit mda.maryland.gov.
11 comments:
This farm crap shouldn't be allowed on the roads! They do not pay any use tax for the roads, nor any highway fuel tax, therefore, they can't use my roads!
@ 10:28 PM
You are clueless. Do you have any idea how much it would it cost in both time and money to dismantle, load aboard a truck and reassemble at the field to be cultivated and harvested?
These folk operate there equipment past the door front of my home almost daily and I have no problem with it.
It's the school buses that stop every few hundred feet that piss me off.
Sand Box John
Farmers are rich! They get tons of tax breaks and are even paid not to grow stuff! Make them buy a license for driving on the roads, I have too.
Apparently, top three commenters don't enjoy having food around...
Hope the top three slept well last night - after their barrage of POO, no HH for you on this fine/wet TGIF!!!!!!!!!!
I think no matter the issue your going to have idiots like the top three that want to complain.
Rt 113 has miles of continuous no passing zones. Then the farmers get their equipment out there at 25-30 MPH, and won't even use the shoulder. How smug of them. They will back up traffic for MILES without pulling over to let them pass. Those guys (my neighbors and acquaintances)don't give a damn.
Unless the law has been changed recently, slow moving vehicles can be passed even in no passing zones. Nothing says you can't pass a slow moving vehicle, if it can be safely done. We're talking about vehicles displaying the slow moving triangular placard, which most slow moving farm equipment operating on the highway are required to have. Farmers have to exercise a little common sense and courtesy to drivers on the highway too. Being a road hog just because you are a farmer is dangerous for everyone.
These ignorant idiots must be from across the bay or out of state. They are probably living off the government and don't have to work to make a living. Go back to the city if you don't like it! Sounds like no common sense LIBERALS!!
Farmers pay dearly. To those that object to them being on the road, why don't you go price one of those "big machines". Try being a farmer.
Apparently 10:28 and 12:45 are ignorant Liberals.
10:28 They have trucks and vehicles they have tags and they do pay highway fuel tax with these vehicles, just not implement fuel consumption. They pay dearly for tires / oil / grease and hydraulic fluid. So get your facts right.
12:45 where are these rich farmers? Where is all these tax breaks? Farmers have more money in one needed piece of equipment than 95% of the homes cost. They have high fuel bills to operate these implements. They have high cost of chemicals to increase production. That is a debt. That does not mean they are rich. The tax breaks are what Government gives any business. The Government pays Farmers to not grow so they can keep consumer prices high while restricting the Farmers selling price low. Would any business not take these types of payments if it keeps your business above water enough to feed your family and pay your yearly bills. We don't get unemployment. I almost forgot check out our hourly wage for 12 - 16 hour days, sometimes 7 days a week. So get your facts right.
These two commentators need to live in the City and starting eating generic manufactured food. They should restrict themselves to food that is not a product of a Farmers labor. Then lets see how much they complain. They come to the country for clean air and do not appreciate the serenity of the country. So they need to go stay away and not live in rural America.
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