VIOLA, Ill — Tractors are used every day on America's farmlands and experts want farmers and drivers to stay safe around them.
Sept.19-23 is National Farm Safety and Health Week this year.
The week-long mission is from the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, which is based in Peosta, Iowa, about 20 minutes southwest of Dubuque.
Each day has a primary topic, with Monday, Sept. 19 being focused on tractor safety.
According to Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, tractor rollovers are the biggest concern as they cause 96 deaths per year - the highest of any cause in agriculture.
"Tractors remain one of the most hazardous items you can have on a farm," I-CASH director Brandi Janssen said. "That cuts across almost all farms, big and small - almost everybody has a tractor."
Janssen said that many farmers have tractors made before 1985, the year rollover protection became required in new models.
However, protection can be retrofitted onto old tractors.
"The roll bar keeps you inside a protected area in the case of a tractor rollover, and the seat belt holds you there so that you're not ejected from the tractor in the case of a rollover," Janssen explained.
Janssen and industry leaders want farmers to be aware of programs that can connect farmers with services and funds to get them rollover protection.
"Our partnership with the National ROPS Rebate Program can help offset some of the cost of the retrofit process and also provide some assistance in sourcing a rollover protection system for your tractor," she added.
Rollovers aren't the only concern for farmers. Mercer County farmer Chad Bell said road traffic often worries him.
"When you are in a vehicle coming up behind a piece of farm equipment, it's hard to really judge how fast they're going," Bell said. "Just know that by the time you realize you need to slow down, it may be too late."
And it's not just speed that's an issue.
"Equipment seems to be getting bigger and bigger... the obstacles of being able to see becomes an issue," he said. "Mirrors can see on both sides of us, but some of this big equipment use you just can't see immediately behind, especially if a car or a truck is right behind you."
Farming experts encourage drivers to be aware of their surroundings when driving near farming equipment. They advise drivers to follow a safe distance away and be careful of speed differences.
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