Durham Region is reminding motorists to slow down, stay patient and give farm equipment plenty of space as harvest season approaches and more agricultural machinery begins travelling on rural roads.
The Durham farm vehicle safety advisory was issued Aug. 25 and applies to rural roads across the region, including Regional roads. Officials say drivers may experience temporary delays as farmers move equipment between fields and transport crops to market during the fall harvest.
The Region says harvest season begins in early fall and continues into late fall, meaning slow-moving tractors and other large farm machines may be encountered during both daytime and nighttime travel.
Watch for slow-moving vehicle signs
Drivers are being asked to watch for the familiar orange triangular slow-moving vehicle emblem mounted on the back of farm equipment.
Ontario requires farm tractors and other vehicles that are not capable of reaching and maintaining speeds above 40 kilometres per hour to display a slow-moving vehicle sign while travelling on a highway, with limited exceptions.
Durham Region notes that most farm equipment travels below 40 km/h. Motorists should reduce speed as soon as they see machinery ahead and remain prepared to stop.
Because modern agricultural equipment can be large, wide and heavy, drivers should leave significantly more following distance than they would behind an ordinary passenger vehicle.
Give farm machinery room to turn
The Durham farm vehicle safety message also warns motorists not to assume a tractor or other machine is moving aside simply because it shifts toward the edge of the road.
Long or wide equipment may need to swing right before making a left turn. Attempting to pass during that movement could place a driver directly in the machine’s turning path.
Farm equipment may also move from the shoulder back into a lane to avoid mailboxes, signs, soft shoulders or other roadside obstacles.
The Region says some older machines may not have modern turn signals, flashers or beacons. Drivers should therefore watch closely for hand signals and remember that farmers operating large machinery can have substantial blind spots.
Pass only when conditions are safe
Officials are asking drivers to wait for a safe opportunity before attempting to pass.
Motorists should not pass farm equipment at intersections, where a tractor or other machine may turn unexpectedly or where the operator may not be able to see traffic approaching from behind.
Drivers are also advised not to pass and then immediately slow down or stop in front of farm machinery. Heavy agricultural equipment needs more distance to brake than a car, increasing the risk of a collision if another vehicle cuts in too closely.
Some machines may occupy more than one lane or extend beyond the visible width of the tractor itself, making extra clearance important.
Harvest traffic part of Durham’s agricultural economy
Durham Region says farmers rely on public roads to move between fields and bring products to market. Those trips can temporarily slow traffic, particularly in rural parts of the region.
The Region is asking motorists to treat those delays with patience and to share the road safely throughout the harvest period.
The Durham farm vehicle safety reminder is also part of the Region’s broader Vision Zero approach, which aims to eliminate serious injuries and deaths on Durham roads.
Drivers travelling through rural areas this fall should expect to encounter farm machinery more often, reduce speed early and wait until there is enough visibility and road space to pass safely.
