Mason City, IA- It won’t be long before farmers start heading into the fields. The extra slow moving machinery on area roads is a real risk for travelers.
Clear Lake, IA Farmer Chuck grove is ready for harvest. In the next few weeks he expects to start combining his bean fields.
They are near a major highway and he thinks twice before taking his equipment out on the road.
"Maybe even go as far as checking your watch to see what time of day it is and what the traffic levels are going to be at that point helps determine your route to the next field,” Grove said.
From the cab of his combine, he can see everything in front of him. It's what's behind him that's a real problem.
"They may see us but we may not always see them that there are blind spots, hidden spots," Grove said.
Iowa State Trooper Mark Domino says it's up to both farmers and motorists to share the road and stay safe during the harvest.
"You're seven times at more chance of becoming a fatality when you're involved in a collision of husbandry with a tractor and a combine," Domino said.
Domino says it's also important to have working lights and slow moving vehicle signs that are easy for drivers to see.
"The new machinery now has lights and turn signals which is really good because back in the day the tractors and the wagons didn't have anything," said Domino.
He says when it comes to tractors and combines on the highway the rule is it can only take up half the roadway that's from the shoulder to the center line, and that's becoming harder for farmers with equipment getting bigger every year.
Both Domino and Grove say it's best to take the head off of a combine and trailer it to the next field.
"It doesn't take that long to pull that head off and put it on a transport cart and take it to the next field if you anticipate you're going to have some traffic issues," said Grove.
Trooper Domino says it's also important to slow down at uncontrolled crossings on country roads. He says you should also never pass farm equipment in those intersections.
