Harvest season is officially underway for Indiana’s 94,000 farmers, which means more slow-moving farm equipment will be on Indiana’s rural roads and highways. To keep Hoosiers safe this year, state agencies are asking motorists to be alert and patient, as they share the road with farm equipment this fall.

“At least once each fall as I am traveling through rural Indiana, I find myself behind or crossing paths with large agricultural equipment,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is important to remain alert this fall and keep an eye out for these slow-moving farm vehicles, and if the opportunity allows, to safely navigate around them.”

In 2020 three vehicles were involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana which resulted in two deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“The fall harvest season is certainly an exciting and busy time for farmers and motorists,” said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “By working together to practice alert driving, we can all make it home safely to our families each night.”

Farm equipment during harvest season could include tractors, combines, grain carts, grain wagons, and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph.