Published on July 16, 2026 2:49 pm
Last Updated on July 16, 2026 2:50 pm
By PHYLLIS COULTER for FarmWeek
While most accidents involving farm equipment on roadways occur during spring and fall, they can happen any time of year. With that in mind, three Illinois agricultural safety experts recently teamed up in “Cultivating Caution, Sharing the Road,” a University of Illinois farmdoc webinar to provide tips to farmers.
In 2022, about one-third of injuries to ag workers in the U.S. were roadway incidents, said Salah Issa, U of I agriculture and biological engineering assistant professor focused on ag safety. Risks increase as farmers travel longer distances with many fields further apart compared to the past, equipment is larger and urban sprawl continues to expand into the countryside.
In Illinois, roadway crashes are the second-leading cause of farm fatalities, according to Sean Tormoehlen, a U of I post graduate student specializing in road safety.
Bill Fulton, a lifelong farmer, has had at least four close calls of cars trying to pass unsafely when he was making a left turn from Route 37 into his Marion County farm south of Salem. Now he turns into a neighbor’s gravel driveway and drives across the road to avoid turning left in traffic on the farm he has operated for 38 years. “We feel it is safer,” he said.
In advance of a left turns, make sure to check traffic in both directions. Some drivers don’t seem to understand the combination of flashing and signal lights, said Fulton, also assistant fire chief of Salem Fire Protection District and Illinois Fire Institute instructor specializing in the agriculture sector.
If there is a long line of traffic, find a safe spot to pull over and let motorists pass to then make a safer left turn, he said. Sometimes choosing an alternate route to avoid a left-hand turn or high-traffic areas, even though it is longer, is the better choice, Fulton noted.
The size of equipment can be a factor in accidents. Fulton urges farmers to make sure markings and lighting show the extended edge of the equipment, and to ensure lights are free of dust, especially during harvest season.
Farmers may need a spotter to drive a separate vehicle with warning lights, Fulton advised.
He also noted power lines, which GPS doesn’t sense or provide alerts, can also be dangerous when moving tall equipment.
If an accident occurs, call 911. Be prepared to offer information about the specific location. Responders need to know where those involved are “so they don’t have to go look for you,” Fulton said.
Provide as much information as possible. Let dispatchers know if there is entrapment so they know what equipment to bring. If animals are involved, arrangements may need to be made for triage, corrals, gates and trailers to get animals to safety.
Also be sure to mention if there are chemicals, especially anhydrous ammonia, involved in accidents. Make sure any valves are shut off on tanks as quickly as possible after an accident. If pesticides are involved, provide labels if possible to first responders.
“We are trying to find out exactly what we are dealing with, so it is safe for everyone,” Fulton said.
Tormoehlen advises farmers to do what they can to avoid risk, including pulling over for cars to pass when it is safe and avoiding rush hour traffic when possible. He advises non-farmers to realize they may have to wait for rural traffic.
Illinois Farm Bureau runs a number of campaigns, especially in the fall and spring, to make people are aware farm equipment and ag vehicles are on the road in higher numbers during the busy seasons, said Fulton, a Marion County Farm Bureau member.
