Roadway hazards
A 48-year-old father of three was driving a tractor pulling a hay baler north on Ohio 716 when a car hit the tractor as it was trying to make a left turn. The driver of the northbound automobile was attempting to pass the tractor when the incident occurred. The automobile driver was treated and released from the community hospital. The driver of the tractor was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner.

Reducing the risks
What are the chances that you will be involved in a farm machinery collision on a public road? These factors increase the odds:

Motor vehicle traffic increases yearly.

Fewer people have farm backgrounds and know to use caution when approaching farm equipment on the roadway.

Farms are larger than in the past, so operators are forced to travel greater distances on the roadways between fields.

Farm equipment has become larger and can extend into the opposite lane of traffic beyond the tractor.

There may be little you can do to change these factors, but others are directly under your control. For example, lack of visibility is a major cause of many crashes. You can make a big difference by making sure your equipment has a clearly visible slow-moving vehicle emblem, proper lighting, and enhanced reflective material.