Drivers, Farmers Urged to Share the Road Safely During 2026 Harvest

As Missouri enters the fall harvest season, motorists and farmers are being urged to stay alert as slow-moving agricultural equipment returns to roadways across the state.

In 2025, Missouri recorded 163 traffic crashes involving farm equipment or implements. One person was killed and 37 people were injured in those crashes.

Farm machinery and passenger vehicles can encounter each other on any road and at any hour. Officials say many collisions can be prevented when everyone treats driving as a full-time responsibility, remains attentive and obeys traffic laws.

Before traveling on a roadway, farmers should make sure equipment is properly marked with working lights and a “slow-moving vehicle” emblem. Lights and reflective materials should be kept clean and free of debris so they remain visible.

Escort vehicles can help warn motorists when equipment is wider than the travel lane, especially on narrow roads or where hills and curves limit sight distance. Equipment operators should stay as far to the right as possible and, when they can, avoid traveling at dawn or dusk, when visibility is reduced.

ATVs used for farming may travel on highways only during daylight hours and must be equipped with lights, a bicycle flag and a “slow-moving vehicle” emblem. Missouri law requires operators younger than 18 to wear a safety helmet, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol recommends helmet use for operators of every age.

State law allows agricultural machinery and implements to operate on state highways after dark for agricultural purposes when the vehicles have the required lighting. Farmers should also use seat belts when operating modern tractors equipped with a roll-over protection structure.

Drivers approaching a tractor or other slow-moving equipment should reduce speed, remain patient and allow extra following distance. They should pass only when they have a clear view of the road ahead and no traffic is approaching. Passing on a bridge or where a hill or curve blocks the view is unsafe.

One common collision occurs when a motorist tries to pass farm equipment that is turning left. A tractor that moves toward the right side of the road may not be inviting traffic to pass; the operator may be preparing for a wide left turn. Motorists should watch the farmer’s hand signals and vehicle lights closely.

Drivers should also watch for farm equipment entering or leaving highways from side roads and driveways. Extra caution is needed around dawn and dusk, when glare from the sun can make machinery and other vehicles more difficult to see.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.