MnDOT cautions drivers to be aware of large farm equipment on roads

Motorists traveling on Minnesota roadways this spring should be aware of large farm equipment moving between fields and farms for planting season, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Over the past three years, there have been at least 455 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota, resulting in eight deaths and 180 injuries.

According to MnDOT state traffic engineer Brian Sorenson, most slow-moving farm vehicles are encountered at dusk and dawn on two-lane rural roads.

“Our highways are needed by farmers to prepare and plant fields each spring and into summer. Most of those crashes occur during daylight hours, and sunrise and sunset can also reduce visibility of farm equipment," Sorenson said in a news release. "Drivers should slow down and prepare to encounter slow-moving farm vehicles, especially on rural, two-lane roads."

MnDOT asks farmers to use proper signage and flashing lights so equipment is as visible as possible, and drivers to slow down around machinery traveling on roadways and wait for a safe place to pass.