A reminder this morning, there are more important things to be concerned with than getting where you are going without delay.
I would love to set up cameras to show how much “fun” it is to be travelling on the road with a farm tractor. Over the past 10 years it has been getting steadily worse and I fear the trend will continue.
We all had to write our beginners test to start driving. We were all tested before being given the privilege of a drivers license to allow us the freedom and independence of driving a motor vehicle. Yet I feel that many have forgotten the content. For instance the gentleman last evening that decided I was not turning left quickly enough, as I was signaling a left turn, and pull past just as I was turning. Luckily this is not a new thing and I was able to pull back in my lane so he didn’t end up with a tractor on his hood.
Everyone is in a hurry, but when that hurriedness becomes a safety risk, that might be a good time to take a breath and realize that the 2-4 minutes it could take behind a slow moving vehicle is not the end of the world.
I can tell you with certainty that when something bad happens, that is a longer delay, or worse. This story from last month really drives home how quickly things can go wrong. The news story also shows a few examples of some common close calls on the road.
Ottawa farmer ‘lucky to be alive’ after tractor struck by transport truck
When you see this sign, you should know that the vehicle ahead is going slow. The slow moving vehicle sign is displayed on vehicles like farm tractors that travel below 40km/hr. So you need to slow down.
Road Safety – It Starts With You
The other thing to watch for behind a bicycle or vehicle like a farm tractor is hand signals.
These are supposed to be recognized by all drivers, yet it seems many have forgotten what it means when someone signals with their hand.
There are three signals you need to know that indicate basic maneuvers on the road. Turning left and right and then slowdown or stop.
Here is a reminder of what these look like.
Travel safe this weekend / summer / always.
