April 27, 2018
Drivers Encouraged to Focus on Safety as Farm Traffic Increases
Manitoba Agriculture and Manitoba Infrastructure are encouraging farmers, drivers and agricultural equipment operators to make road safety a priority this spring. Warmer temperatures mean an increase in oversized equipment travelling on Manitoba highways is expected to begin soon.
Farmers and agricultural equipment operators need to:
- ensure all machinery is equipped with proper lighting, signage and reflectors when travelling on roadways, as required by The Highway Traffic Act;
- ensure lights, signage and reflectors are visible and clean;
- use a pilot vehicle when transporting oversized agricultural equipment;
- move equipment during the day on secondary roads whenever possible;
- ensure equipment fits under power lines and on bridge structures (check width and height); and
- map out routes before transporting equipment and get appropriate permits from Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Infrastructure when applicable.
Motorists should:
- slow down when approaching farm equipment as it is often travelling at reduced speeds and taking up a considerable amount of room on the road;
- pay attention to turn signals and possible lane changes;
- only pass when it is clearly safe to do so; and
- be patient.
For more information about moving farm equipment safely, including dimensions when permits are required, visit www.gov.mb.ca/mit/mcd/mcpd/mfes.html.
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