Farm Equipment On The Road; Is It Legal?
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This time of year your chances of getting stuck behind large farm equipment on the road are pretty good. When that happens it can be dangerous for everyone. On Monday, an Obion County farmer was hit by an 18-wheeler, seriously injuring him. That is prompting the question, is it legal to drive farm equipment on state roads? Most of us have been stuck behind a piece of farm equipment going about 15 to 20 miles per hour, and that is on a good day. Jason Luckey, a farmer, said, “Judging by the looks I get on the road, I know I cause a lot of grief.” Luckey has been farming for about 25 years all across Carroll, Gibson, and Madison Counties. On an average day he drives his machinery between two to 100 miles on the roadway. So, needless to say, he is used to the honks and gestures. Luckey adds, “We’re not out there to hinder anyone, we’re just trying to make a living.” And making a living, Luckey says, should not come at a dangerous price. About three years ago a man ran into the back of Luckey’s cotton picker, seriously injuring the driver. Lieutenant Brad Wilbanks, with the THP, says, “Don’t get yourself killed trying to make a pass that’s going to save you two to three minutes.” According to the THP, there are only three rules that are different for farmers, than any other motorist. Farmer’s cannot drive on the interstate. If they have an extra-wide load, they need an escort, and if five or more cars get backed up behind a piece of machinery, the farmer needs to pull over onto the shoulder. Lt. Wilbanks adds, “But the problem with some of these big tractors is sometimes there’s not a place for them to get off the road.” The only solution to that problem, experts say, is patience. Lt. Wilbanks says, on average, his post works about five serious farm equipment-related wrecks a year.
