Bill to educate New Jersey drivers about sharing roads with farm equipment advances in Assembly committee
TRENTON, N.J. — Legislation aimed at improving roadway safety by educating New Jersey motorists about sharing the road with tractors, harvesters and other agricultural equipment advanced through the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday.
The bipartisan bill, A2753, sponsored by Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, Morris and Warren, would require state agencies to develop educational materials to help drivers better understand the laws and safety precautions associated with slow-moving farm equipment.
“Here in Sussex County and throughout rural New Jersey, sharing the road with farm equipment is part of everyday life. Whether it’s planting season, harvesting, or other agricultural operations, farmers need to move equipment between fields and properties. Unfortunately, we’ve seen what can happen when motorists don’t understand how to safely navigate around these vehicles,” Fantasia said.
Under existing New Jersey law, motorists approaching a vehicle displaying the orange and red slow-moving vehicle triangle must reduce their speed to match that vehicle before attempting to pass, except on roads with at least two lanes traveling in the same direction. Violations can result in fines ranging from $100 to $500.
“How many drivers actually know that’s the law? Or that farm equipment has a legal right to operate on public roads?” Fantasia asked. “These machines are often wide, move at 25 miles per hour or less, and need additional room to turn. Impatience or a bad decision behind the wheel can have devastating consequences.”
Under the legislation, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture would work with the Division of Highway Traffic Safety and the Motor Vehicle Commission to develop educational materials, including a safety video, for distribution online and at MVC locations statewide.
The bill would also incorporate farm equipment safety into classroom driver education programs and informational materials provided to parents of beginning drivers younger than 18.
The educational campaign would be intended to reach experienced motorists as well as teenagers preparing to obtain their driver’s licenses.
Fantasia also cited the popularity of agritourism in rural New Jersey, where visitors travel to farm markets, orchards, pumpkin patches and seasonal festivals, often using narrow roads they may be unfamiliar with.
“Every fall, thousands of visitors come to our communities for apple picking, hayrides, and farm festivals. We welcome them, but many aren’t accustomed to encountering a tractor or large piece of agricultural machinery around a blind curve or on a narrow road. That combination of unfamiliar drivers, slow-moving equipment, and increased traffic creates very real safety concerns,” she added.
“I’m happy to join this bipartisan effort. Most drivers will never operate a tractor, but that doesn’t mean they won’t encounter one. We already have laws designed to protect farmers and motorists. Making sure people understand those laws is a commonsense way to prevent accidents.”
The legislation would also require the Department of Agriculture to assess roadway risks involving farm equipment and recommend additional safety measures to the governor and Legislature.
The bill must advance through the remaining legislative process before it can become law.
