From Fall 2000 - Volume 3, Number 1

It's getting dusk and you're late. You're tooling down the road at, well, a little faster than you usually go on country roads. But after all you rationalize, you are accustomed to the road and even a few seconds of time saved will be worthwhile. As you round a familiar bend you see a dim, red hollow triangle glowing in the road ahead. Is it a driveway marker; should you steer to the left of it? Maybe it is a machine in the distance - maybe you should slow down, or maybe you should . . .

As the seconds speed past you try to put information together to make a decision. You suddenly realize there is a big machine right in front of you, going very slowly. You can't slow quickly enough to avoid hitting it, so you whip the steering wheel to the left to try to pass it. You hear the sickening screech of tearing sheet metal, and you feel like a huge monster has grabbed your car, spinning it around, throwing it like a plastic toy. You have hit part of the machine you didn't see. Through the thick fog in your mind you are aware of an unfamiliar and terrifying sensation of numbness mingled with pain. As your thoughts fade you think, "if I had only known what was ahead in time, this wouldn't have happened." You wake up staring at the ceiling of a hospital room, dazed and wondering how long you will have to be there. You wonder how bad the other guy is and ask yourself "why did this happen to me?"

This sad story is representative of 15,000 cases in the United States annually where a farm vehicle is involved in a collision on a public road that results in injuries. There are several reasons why this happened, and several things that could—and should—be done so it is not repeated.

If all the recommendations in this issue are followed, the above story may have gone something like this: It’s getting dusk and you are running late. You resist the urge to drive faster knowing that the few seconds you may gain greatly increase your risks. As you round the familiar bend in the road, red taillights and amber flashers ahead alert you. You see the glow of a bright red triangle with an orange center. Instantly you recognize it as a Slow Moving Vehicle emblem telling you there is a very slow vehicle in the road ahead. You quickly brake to nearly a stop giving you time to assess the situation from a safe distance. The reflectors on the machine indicate that it extends beyond the center of the road, so you patiently follow it until its operator pulls over to let you pass safely. Soon you arrive safely and happily at your destination. You realize the farmer's decision to use a bright SMV emblem and proper lighting, and your decision to learn about SMV emblems and drive patiently and carefully, enabled you to avoid a collision.