Farm Safety

Agricultural Safety in Missouri

Missouri has a proud agricultural tradition. Since the first farms in Missouri were established around 1725 by French settlers in the Ste. Genevieve area, agriculture has been Missouri’s leading industry. The importance of farming to Missouri and its citizens makes farm safety a priority. Operating farm machinery is serious business that comes with a certain amount of risk, especially on a highway. The Missouri State Highway Patrol investigates numerous traffic crashes each year involving farm tractors and similar machinery. We encourage all farmers to adhere to traffic safety for operating farm machinery on Missouri’s roadways.

Recreational Vehicle

Section 304.033 RSMo. allows recreational off-highway vehicles to be operated on the highways of this state for agricultural purposes. The operator is required to possess a valid operator’s or chauffeur’s license and to wear a seat belt when operating the off-highway vehicle. When in operation, the off-highway vehicle must display a lighted headlamp and lit tail lamp. Missouri law also states, “When operated on a highway, a recreational off-highway vehicle shall be equipped with a roll bar or roll cage construction to reduce the risk of injury to an occupant of the vehicle in case of the vehicle’s rollover.”

All-Terrain Vehicle

All-terrain vehicles (ATV) can be operated on the highways of this state for agricultural purposes between the official sunrise and sunset on the day of operation. Please follow these rules when operating an ATV:

• Have a valid operator’s or chauffeur’s license
• Vehicle should be operated at speeds of less than 30 mph
• When operated on the highway, the ATV shall have a bicycle safety flag, which extends not less than seven feet above the ground, attached to the rear of the vehicle. The bicycle safety flag shall be triangular in shape with an area not less than 30 square inches and shall be day-glow in color.
• An operator under the age of 18 must wear a safety helmet
• Do not operate the ATV in a careless way so as to endanger the person or property of another, or while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance

Driving on a Highway

Moving farm machinery on a highway under the best conditions is hazardous. The driver of farm equipment, when traveling on a highway, must keep in mind the machinery is traveling at a very low speed compared with the speed of other vehicles. He or she may not travel slow enough to avoid a traffic crash by maneuvering the machine. The driver must take certain precautions to prevent traffic crash.

1. Anytime you are driving farm machinery on a highway, it should display a red flag atop a pole (10–14 feet high), for better visibility when the machine is hidden by a rise or curve in the roadway.
2. When rounding curves, or anytime the view is restricted, the driver should drive as far to the right as possible.
3. Special precautions should be taken when driving on the highway during the morning and evening hours when the sun may blind other drivers. The late evening hours are extremely dangerous times to move farm equipment on the highway and it should never be attempted unless absolutely necessary.
4. Any time traffic lines up behind the farm equipment, the driver should pull off or let traffic pass.
5. Railroad crossings are also a hazard to farmers. Never take a safe crossing for granted. Remember: Any time is train time.

Driving Onto or Across a Highway

Farmers understand how their machinery works, but many motorists do not. Extra caution should be taken when driving farm machinery across or onto a main highway or a side road or lane. Be sure to determine whether there is traffic approaching from either direction before entering the roadway. Take into account the vehicle’s speed when joining a motorist on the road. If there is even the slightest chance that farm machinery cannot enter the roadway safely, the prudent driver will wait until the danger has passed.

Turning Off the Highway

Driving farm machinery off a highway can be dangerous if not accompanied by caution and good judgment. The driver, when preparing to make a turn off a highway, should remember he is reducing speed in order to make a turn, while other vehicles are continuing at their speed. When turning off the highway, help alert motorists by:

1. Signaling your intentions to turn either by hand signals, electric signals, or both. Signals for turns or stops should be given far enough in advance so other drivers will have adequate time to avoid a collision.
2. Select the correct lane for making the turn; and when the turn can be made safely, do so without making a wide or opposing turn.

Hand Signals

• Left Turn: Extend left arm straight out to the left
• Right Turn: Extend left arm out and bend upward at the elbow
• Slow or Stop: Extend left arm out and bend downward at the elbow

Summary

Drivers of farm machinery are no different from drivers in any other group — there are good ones and careless ones. Every driver, no matter what group, must comply with safety rules, obey traffic laws, exercise common sense, and practice courtesy to ensure his or her chances of driving and surviving a crash.

Missouri Law Requirements Concerning Farm Equipment

Lights

Missouri law requires agricultural implements or equipment, road machinery, road rollers, tractor engines, and farm tractors to be equipped during the time when lighted lamps are required with at least one lighted lamp or lantern exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the front of such vehicle and with a lamp or lantern exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear; and such lamps shall exhibit lights to the sides of such vehicles.

SMV Emblem

Missouri law requires that no person shall operate on any public highway of this state any slow-moving vehicle or equipment or component or attachment thereof or any animal-drawn vehicle, designed for use or normally operated at speeds less than 25 miles per hour, unless there is displayed on the rear a base down equilateral triangle of fluorescent yellowish-orange film or equivalent quality paint with a base of not less than 14 inches and altitude of not less than 12 inches. Such triangle shall be bordered with reflective red stripes having a minimum width of one and three-fourths inches, with the vertices of the overall triangle truncated such that the remaining altitude shall be a minimum of 14 inches. Such emblem shall be mounted on the rear of such vehicle near the horizontal geometric center of the rearmost vehicle at a height of not less than four feet above the roadway, and shall be maintained in a clean, reflective condition.

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