With the 2026 fall harvest season underway, the Missouri State Highway Patrol is urging both farmers and motorists to share the road and remain alert to prevent collisions involving slow-moving agricultural equipment.
In 2025, Missouri recorded 163 traffic crashes involving farm equipment, resulting in one fatality and 37 injuries. Because farmers and motorists can encounter one another on any rural roadway at any time, authorities are reminding all drivers to obey traffic laws and avoid distractions.
Troopers caution motorists to slow down and remain patient when approaching farm machinery. Drivers should only pass when they have a clear view of the road ahead and no oncoming traffic, and they should never pass on a bridge or in areas where sight is limited by a hill or curve.
A common cause of collisions occurs when a motorist attempts to pass a farm vehicle making a left turn. The patrol warns that a tractor pulling to the right side of the road might actually be preparing to make a wide left turn, rather than pulling over to let traffic pass. Drivers should watch closely for hand or light signals and pay special attention to equipment entering or leaving the highway from field driveways.
For farmers operating equipment, the patrol emphasizes the importance of proper visibility. Equipment must be marked with a "slow-moving vehicle" emblem and functioning lights. Reflective materials should be kept clean and free of dirt or debris. When moving machinery wider than the travel lane, farmers should use escort vehicles to warn oncoming traffic, particularly on narrow or winding roads.
While Missouri law allows agricultural machinery to operate on state highways after dark if equipped with the required lighting, the patrol recommends avoiding road travel at dawn and dusk when visibility is naturally compromised.
Farmers using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for agricultural purposes are restricted to highway travel during daylight hours only. The ATVs must be equipped with lights, a bicycle flag and a slow-moving vehicle emblem. State law requires ATV operators under 18 to wear a safety helmet, though the Highway Patrol recommends helmets for riders of all ages.
Additionally, authorities remind agricultural workers that most modern tractors are equipped with seat belts, which should always be used when operating machinery fitted with a roll-over protection structure.
