A new law was signed by the Governor effective October 5, 2000. House Bill 484 will affect all agricultural equipment operating on Ohio roads. The three primary areas the new law will address are printed below.

The law requires equipment operating on roads to display proper lighting and marking from sunset until sunrise. The old Code allowed vehicles to operate for 30 minutes after sunset without lights; however this is no longer permissible. Examples of proper lightning and marking patterns are illustrated at the end of this publication.

Effective October 5, 2001 all tractors will be equipped with flashing amber lights that extend to the extreme left and extreme right of the vehicle. Also required on the left and right extremity are red reflectors visible to the rear, and amber reflectors visible to the front

For dual wheeled tractors, this will require lights and reflectors that project over the wheels and protruding axles. Examples of proper lighting patterns are described at the end of this publication.

Owners of multi-wheeled tractors are eligible for a nonrefundable credit against the tax imposed on retrofitting the tractor to comply with the Code, up to $1,000. The credit must be used in the year the retrofit was made, and is only allowable the first year of this new law. Consult your tax advisor for details on how this credit can be applied.

Farm machinery manufactured in 2002 and thereafter will be equipped with the new lighting patterns. It will be the responsibility of the operator to maintain such lighting patterns. At this time older farm machinery, with the exception of tractors, will not be required to be retrofitted. However it is in the best interest of the operator's safety to do so.

The SMV emblem is required by the Ohio Revised Code when moving "implements of husbandry" and farm machinery on public roadways. Implements of husbandry are vehicles designed and adapted exclusively for agricultural, horticultural, or livestock-raising operations. Additionally, SMV emblems are required on other specific vehicles, including horse-drawn vehicles.

To be effective, it is critical that SMV emblems be clean and visible. If wagons or towed implements obscure the SMV emblem on the tractor, the rearmost wagon or implement needs to have an SMV emblem in place.

The Ohio Revised Code requires tractors and other self-propelled equipment to display the following lighting from sunset to sunrise.

• One white headlight on the front of the vehicle, visible from at least 1,000 feet

• Two red lamps as wide apart as possible on the rear of the vehicle, visible from at least 1,000 feet OR one red light and two red reflectors

• Two amber flashing on extreme right and left projections of the tractor, especially in cases of dual-wheeled vehicles

The Ohio Revised Code requires towed equipment to display the following lighting. One again, the lighting is required from sunset to sunrise.

• Two red reflectors

• If towed implements or wagons obscure any of the rear red or flashing amber lights of the tractor, the rearmost towed implement must have one mounted on it.

To increase the odds that you will be seen on roadways, add reflective material to your farm equipment in front, back and on the sides. Reflective material is not required by state law, but recent research has shown that it dramatically improves visibility. The task of adding reflective material has been made easier by an Ohio program known as FARM (Fewer Accidents with Reflective Materials). Since late fall of 1997, the FARM program has offered a complete kit that includes 14 pieces of the highest quality safety material currently available, including a new improved SMV emblem to replace one that may be faded.

To mark the edges and sides of your equipment, the kit includes several types of colors of 2" by 9" reflective strips. Six yellow and two red "retroreflective" strips enhance the visibility of your equipment at night. For daytime visibility, the kit contains two re-orange fluorescent strips.

Kits containing materials and instructions to mark one implement may be available from your local Farm Bureau or equipment dealer.

The illustrations below depict the recommended lighting and reflective materials on farm equipment. But keep in mind that these recommendations exceed requirements by the Ohio Revised Code.