With National Farm Safety and Health Week recently observed Sept. 21-25, the Alabama Farmers Federation is reminding motorists that farm equipment will be sharing the roads with them throughout the fall harvest season.

As farmers bring in crops including corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans, drivers may encounter tractors, combines and other large agricultural equipment traveling well below the speed of regular traffic, according to a federation news release.

“Farmers have spent months growing corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans,” said Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell in the release. “Now, it’s time to get those crops out of the field and into the hands of people who depend on them. Farmers are providing for the folks they share the road with. Those drivers have places they need to get to safely, and their farmer friends do, too.”

Farmers make efforts to reduce disruptions for motorists by avoiding high-traffic periods when possible and pulling over to allow vehicles to pass. Even with those efforts, delays are sometimes unavoidable because agricultural equipment is built for working in fields, not keeping pace with highway traffic.

For motorists, patience and awareness can make a significant difference. A vehicle traveling 55 mph can close the distance across a football field between itself and a tractor traveling 15 mph in about five seconds, the federation said.

“We know our neighbors are in a hurry to get to school, work or other appointments,” Parnell said. “Saving a few minutes is not worth endangering yourself, the farmer or other drivers by passing on a solid yellow line, swerving around a tractor or approaching slow-moving vehicles at high speed.”

The federation recommends that motorists take several precautions when encountering farm equipment:

• Slow down. Most agricultural equipment is designed to travel between 15 and 25 mph.

• Look for slow-moving vehicle signs. Orange triangular SMV signs indicate vehicles traveling less than 25 mph.

• Pay attention to turn signals. Electronic or hand signals may indicate a turn. A tractor moving toward the right side of the road is not necessarily pulling over. Large pieces of farm equipment often need extra space to make wide turns.

• Pass carefully. Even when passing is legal and conditions are safe, agricultural machinery can sway.

• Stay on the roadway. Motorists should expect farm equipment operators to keep all of their tires on the road as well. Moving onto loose shoulders can increase the risk of a rollover.

• Watch for lights and reflective markings. Flashing amber lights often indicate the far right and left edges of farm equipment. Reflective tape also may mark the sides and extremities of machinery.

Agricultural equipment operators have the right to use public roads, making awareness particularly important during harvest season. The federation encourages motorists to slow down, stay alert and allow extra time when sharing the road with farm equipment.