Harvest season means more slow moving farm vehicles on the road

It is bound to happen this time of year, getting stuck behind a large, slow moving farm vehicle.

OPP who are reminding us that harvest season means these vehicles are more likely to show up in your daily commute.

These trucks and trailers are usually travelling around 35 km/hr and will be labelled with a slow-moving vehicle sign – that bright orange triangle warning drivers that the truck or trailer isn’t going to be moving very quickly.

Constable Kees Wijnands with the OPP tells 570 News that motorists need to be extra cautious.

“They are usually longer and wider and they are going to turn in places that may not be well marked such as field entrances (…) a lot of times these vehicles will operate 24 hours a day.”

He adds some farmers may have to use hand signals because their vehicle doesn’t have electronic turn signals.

“They are in a hurry to get somewhere and they want to pass this piece of equipment (…) passing needs to be done very cautiously, we keep saying be a little bit more patient and show courtesy to one another.”

Wijnands says that this time of year they do see an increase in collisions with farm vehicles specifically early in the morning or later in the evening, something we need to take note of since the days are getting shorter.

“They also have to have flags if things overhang a metre and a half, make sure their slow moving vehicle signs are not faded or covered, they need to make sure that they are seen.”