INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Spring weather is here and farmers are beginning to plant their crops across the state’s 15 million acres of farmland.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and several state agencies are reminding Hoosier motorists to be alert, be courteous and be patient when they encounter farm equipment on Indiana’s rural roads.

Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture, is encouraging all motorists to “stay alert and be cautious while driving on rural roads this spring and to make room for large farm equipment so our roads remain safe for everyone”.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2018 farm equipment vehicles were involved in 98 crashes across the U.S., with two farm equipment vehicles being involved in fatal crashes in Indiana.

While the term “farm equipment” encompasses a wide range of vehicles, the most common types motorists will encounter during planting season include sprayers, tractors pulling planters or tillage equipment, and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph.