Country roads take you home to the place where you belong, but even outside of West Virginia we should each do our part to stay safe while using them.
Whether you own rural property or just passing through, country driving can be a whole lot different compared to city driving.
From May until November, driving in the country means not only sharing the road with bikers and runners but also sharing with farm tractors and other heavy farm machinery. It’s important to respect not only the rules of the road but those you are sharing it with.
When you look up ahead and see a pedestrian or a slow-moving piece of farm equipment, you should practice patience and care before reacting too quickly.
DON’T PASS IMMEDIATELY
When passing, do so cautiously and slowly to make sure that it is safe to do so. Turbulence and high winds may cause machinery to sway and become unsteady so it’s important to give them plenty of space and time.
When approaching and passing pedestrians, also be mindful of your speed, yield to oncoming traffic and move over into the opposite lane when it’s safe to do so.
STAY BACK
When following behind farming equipment, stay back about 50 feet. Large equipment has limitations to its manoeuvrability and may not be the easiest to stop or speed up quickly.
WATCH FOR TURNS
Stay alert! Large farm machinery often makes wide turns, so if you see it veering off in one direction, it may be making a turn and not pulling over as you may think.
TAKE YOUR TIME
Speed limits are often increased in these rural areas due to less traffic and fewer residential homes, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t used by those who live and farm nearby. It’s better to arrive safely than put your and others’ lives at risk.
This is the country after all, so why not just slow down and enjoy the beautiful ride?
Are you a farmer? Learn more about tractor insurance here.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
