University of Iowa study: More lighting on farm vehicles would reduce number of crashes

Traffic crashes involving combines and tractors would decrease by more than half if state policies required more lighting and reflection on those farm vehicles, according to a new study from the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

The study’s release coincides with the harvest season, the most dangerous time of the year for such accidents, when large, slow-moving farm equipment is often on the roads at dusk and after dark, said Marizen Ramirez, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

“Many drivers misjudge the time and distance it takes to slow down when they approach a farm vehicle from behind. Better lighting would give them more time,” said Ramirez, who recently transferred to the University of Minnesota.

Iowa and the eight other Corn Belt states in the study report an average of about 1,000 farm vehicle-related crashes each year, many of which cause severe or fatal injuries.

Read more: http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/agriculture/ui-study-more-lighting-on-farm-vehicles-would-reduce-number-of-crashes-20161021