Citation

Mehlhorn SA, Wilkin H, Darroch B, D'Antoni J. J. Agric. Saf. Health 2015; 21(2): 85-94.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, American Society of Agricultural Engineers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

26204784

Abstract

Safety of farm equipment on public roadways has been the topic of much research for several years. With more farm equipment traveling on roadways, it will continue to be an important topic. The objective of this research project was to locate areas with high crash rates involving farm equipment (excluding other slow-moving vehicles) and to identify similarities, if any, among those locations. Data collected from public crash report records obtained from the Tennessee Highway Patrol were entered into a geographic information system (GIS) database, so locations with high crash rates could be identified. Physical data, including number of lanes, presence and width of shoulders, presence of farm equipment warning signs, and other roadway information, were gathered for each location. Information contained within the public accident records was also considered, including time of day, weather conditions, and severity of the accident. This research revealed that most collisions involving farm equipment in Tennessee occur during the months of May, June, and October. More crashes occur on Mondays than other days of the week, with Sundays.having the fewest reported crashes. Typically, most collisions occur between 14:00 and 16:00 and when the weather is clear. Of 16 accident sites at locations with high crash frequencies in northwest Tennessee, 88% had grass shoulders that were 1.8 m wide or less. No sites had farm equipment warning signs posted, and 81% had no posted speed limits. Farm equipment collisions could be reduced through better driver education, proper sign posting, and wider shoulders.

Language: en