Improving Georgia's yield...behind the wheel

Do You Recognize These Symbols?
Less than 30% of drivers know what these symbols mean.* But it is a matter of life and death for drivers of automobiles, farm equipment and animal-drawn vehicles on rural roads.
This is a daytime view of the slow moving vehicle emblem. It is to be displayed on vehicles designed to travel at speeds of 25 mph or less. It is not simply a reflector it is a warning to slow down.
Occasionally you may encounter a slow moving vehicle (SMV) traveling at night. The SMV emblem's red border is designed for nighttime visibility. Your car's headlights will reflect off the red border of the SMV emblem and appear to you to be a glowing red triangle floating in the darkness. It is extremely important to slow down immediately because reduced lighting will make it difficult to judge how rapidly you are closing in on a slow moving vehicle, or what the dimensions of the slow moving vehicle may be.
*According to findings of Penn State researcher Philip M. Garvey, author of "Motorist Comprehension of the Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem."

Tips for Farmers
Farmers have a role in rural road safety too. Here are some tips to alleviate some hazards when taking wide equipment onto the road.
Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 40-8-4) requires you to place a slow moving vehicle reflector on any machine that travels the road slower than 25 mph. Always point the triangle up, keep the SMV emblem clean to maximize reflectivity, and replace the emblem when it fades, normally every 2-3 years.
Mark the edges of tractors and machines with reflective tape and reflectors. Consider installing retrofit lighting on older machinery to increase visibility.
Turn on your lights, but turn off rear spotlights when going onto the road. From a distance they can be mistaken for headlights.
Avoid the highway during rush hours and bad weather. Do no drive before sunrise or after sunset.
Use pilot cars, one in front and one in back if you are going a considerable distance. Hang an orange flag out the window of these pilot vehicles.
Consider installing mirrors on equipment to enable you to be aware of motorists around you.

Improving Georgia's YIELD
...Behind the Wheel

Governor's Office of Highway Safety Harris Blackwood, Director www.gahighwaysafety.org
Department of Agriculture Gary W. Black, Commissioner www.agr.georgia.gov
9/2011

Governor's Office of Highway Safety www.gahighwaysafety.org

Dear Georgia Citizens,
While driving on Georgia roads, you may encounter farm equipment. This equipment comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes you will see a single vehicle, such as a tractor or combine. Other times the equipment will consist of a tractor with an implement in tow or a truck-pulled cotton or peanut wagon.
Farm equipment is designed to be used primarily in a field and is not designed to travel at typical highway speeds. Most farm equipment is designed to travel at speeds of 15-25 miles per hour. Farm equipment may be wider than other vehicles; perhaps even wider than the lane of travel. However, farm equipment must be operated on highways in order to travel between a farm and a field or from field to field.
In Georgia, there have been collisions between passenger cars and trucks and farm vehicles that have resulted in serious injury and death. That's why your Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety have formed a partnership to remind motorists of the potential dangers of a crash with farm equipment.
Just as motorists are entitled to operate their vehicles on public roadways, farmers are legally allowed to operate farm equipment on these same roadways. We are pleased to offer these safety tips and hope you will keep them in mind when your travels take you into Georgia's great farm areas.
Sowing the Seeds of Safety
Gary W. Black, Commissioner Georgia Department of Agriculture
Harris Blackwood, Director Governor's Office of Highway Safety

Be Patient
A farmer understands that your trip is being delayed, as he or she will pull off the road at the first available safe location to allow you to pass. Don't assume that the farmer can move aside to let you pass. Shoulders may be soft, wet, or steep, which can cause the farm vehicle to tip, or they may not be able to support a heavy farm vehicle.
Even if you have to slow down to 20 mph and follow a tractor for two miles, it takes only six minutes of your time, which is about the same as waiting for two stoplights.
Yield to Wide Vehicles
Some farm equipment may be wider than the lane of travel. If you approach a piece of wide farm equipment traveling in the opposite direction and you cannot pass by (1) pull off the road and stop or (2) safely turn around or (3) back up to a location that will allow the equipment to pass by you.
Don't Assume the Farmer Knows You're There
Most operators of farm equipment will regularly check to see if there is traffic behind them. However, the farmer must spend most of their time looking ahead to keep the equipment safely on the road and to watch for oncoming traffic. Also, most farm equipment is very loud and the farmer probably will not be able to hear your vehicle. Therefore, do not assume that the farmer knows where your vehicle is located. Before you attempt to pass, use your car's horn to signal to the farmer that you are there.
If you are driving 55 mph and come upon a tractor that's moving 15 miles per hour, it only takes five seconds to close a gap the length of a football field between you and the tractor.

In 2010, there were 301 accidents and 3 fatalities in Georgia involving farm equipment and other vehicles.
Statistics from GDOT
Pass with Caution
If a farmer has pulled off the road to allow you to pass or if the farmer cannot pull off the road and you feel you must pass, do so with caution.
Be watchful of vehicles behind you that may also try to pass. If you must enter the oncoming lane of traffic, do not pass unless you can see clearly ahead of both you and the vehicle you will pass. If there are any curves or hills ahead that may block your view or the view of oncoming vehicles, do not pass. Do not pass if you are in a designated "No Passing Zone" or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevated structure or tunnel. Do not assume that a farm vehicle that pulls to the right side of the road is going to turn right or is letting you pass. Due to the size of some farm implements, the farmer must execute wide lefthand turns. If you are unsure, check the operator's hand signals and check the left side of the road for gates, driveways or any place a farm vehicle might turn.