Beef Day talks 2016

1. 2016-02-121
Farm Vehicles on the Roadway
January 6, 2016

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Farm Vehicles on the Roadway
Speakers
Kevin Martin, OPP, South Bruce
Sean Wraight, MTO - Regional Planner, London

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Current Ontario Road Safety Picture
 Ontario roads are among the safest in North America.
 In 2012, Ontario:
 Recorded the second lowest number of road fatalities – 568 – since 1944
 The second lowest number of road fatalities in North America
 Long-term trends indicate substantial reductions in fatality and injury rates
since 2000. Fatalities are down by over one third. Injuries are down by over
one quarter and is one of the lowest rates ever.
Ontario Road Safety Annual Report 2012

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Farm Vehicles on the Roadway
Canadian Statistical Trends
 Most recent numbers from the MTO are for the
year 2012; 179 collisions across the Province of
Ontario involving farm equipment
 The most frequent type of single-vehicle crash is a
farm tractor being driven too close to the shoulder
of the road and rolling into the ditch.
 The most common type of multiple-vehicle
collision is a farm machine being hit as it is
turning onto a public roadway from a farm road or
another public roadway.

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Farm Vehicles on the Roadway Some
Canadian Statistical Trends
 There is a high number of rear-end collisions,
usually occurring at intersections and caused by
motorists underestimating the size and speed of
the farm equipment.
 A large number of collisions occurred while the
farm equipment is making a left hand turn
where operators failed to signal or by the signal
not being visible to other traffic.
 Almost half of all collisions occurred in the
period July to September, the peak harvest
time.

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Highway Traffic Act
 Your Tractor is not a motor vehicle, but it is
considered a vehicle
 Self Propelled Implements of Husbandry are not
motor vehicles, but they are vehicles
 Licence plates not required on tractors, farm
wagons or implements of husbandry IF
travelling farm to farm for farm purposes or
maintenance or repairs; All other uses require
plates.

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Self-Propelled Implements of
Husbandry (SPIH)
 SPIH are vehicles "manufactured, designed,
redesigned, converted, or reconstructed" to
perform a specific farm task. When converted
from former road vehicles, SPIH should exhibit
outward, physical change to the cargo-carrying
portion of the vehicle and the modifications
should facilitate a specific farm use.

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Where to Drive
 Although it is not illegal to drive farm equipment
on the shoulder of the road, you should always
drive on the travelled portion of the highway as
the shoulder may not be able to support the
weight of your farm equipment. (Except where
prohibited.) Also, although farm equipment is
exempt from the width rules in the Highway
Traffic Act (HTA), you must yield ½ the road to
oncoming vehicles.

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Slow Moving Vehicle Sign
 Must be displayed on rearmost vehicle while
on a highway
 Mounted between ½ m/ 1’ 8” and 2m/6.5’
above roadway
 Vehicle travels at 40 km/h or less
 Tractors and self propelled implements of
husbandry must display the sign
 When towing, rear most towed vehicle must
display the sign

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Slow Moving Vehicle Sign

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Over-size, Over-weight Loads
 Farm equipment operators are exempt from the
maximum width, length and weight rules when
on a highway.
 This exemption also applied to towed
implement(s).
 However, a farm equipment operator may be
liable for damage to the highway or a bridge
from an overweight vehicle.

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Wide Equipment Rules
 Keep right of the centerline, allowing other
vehicles ½ the travelled portion
 Keep right when being overtaken
 Keep right at crest of grade or hill, at a curve,
within 100 ft of bridge or tunnel, or when
driver’s view obstructed
 Keep right within 100 ft of railway crossing

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Lighting
 All Vehicles on a highway require 2 white
lights to the front and one red light to
the rear when operating at night.
 Night, ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour
before sunrise and any other time when
visibility is reduced to less than 150
metres or 500 feet

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Vehicles over 6.1m / 20 ft
 All combinations exceeding the length
must have front and rear side marker
lamps green or amber on the front & red
on the rear
 The above may be substituted with
reflectors

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Over-dimensional
farm vehicles
 Is a farm vehicle, a farm tractor, self-
propelled implement of husbandry,
implement of husbandry, or any
combination of them, having a weight,
width, length or height in excess of the
limits
 2.6 m/8.5’ wide 23 m/75’ long

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Long Combinations
 Longer than 23 m/75’
 Must have 2 flashing amber lights front
 2 flashing amber lights to the rear
 Only when lights are required!

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Overwidth
 Wider than 2.6m/8.6’ up to 3.8m/12.5’
 Must have 2 flashing amber lights front
 2 flashing amber lights to the rear
 Only when lights are required!

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Overwidth greater than 3.8m/12.5’
 At all times:
 Must have 2 flashing amber lights front
 2 flashing amber lights to the rear
 Or Rotating high mounted amber light
visible front and rear

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Overwidth greater than
3.8m/12.5’
 At Night:
 Must have 2 flashing amber lights front
 2 flashing amber lights to the rear
 And Rotating high mounted amber light
visible front and rear
 Or escort vehicles front and rear

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Overwidth greater than 4.8m/15’ 9”
 At all times
 Must have 2 flashing amber lights front
 2 flashing amber lights to the rear
 Or Rotating high mounted amber light
visible front and rear

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Overwidth greater than 4.8m/15’ 9”
 At Night
 Must have 2 flashing amber lights front
 2 flashing amber lights to the rear
 And Rotating high mounted amber light
visible front and rear
 and escort vehicles front and rear

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Escort Vehicles
 Must have working four way flashers
 Must be equipped with high mounted
intermittent flashing rotating amber light
 Visible to front and rear
 Travel at a distance of approx. 60m/200’
in front & behind of escorted equipment

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Safety Chains - Secondary Means
of Attachment
 Any vehicle being towed on a highway must be
equipped with safety chain or chains
 The chain or chains must have a breaking
strength greater than the total weight being
drawn (Appendix A in Farm Guide)

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Drivers Licenses
A Driver's License is not required to drive a farm
tractor or self-propelled implement of husbandry
along a highway, but you must be at least 16
years old. Children under 16 can only drive farm
vehicles directly across a highway. If your Driver's
License has been suspended for impaired driving,
you cannot drive farm machinery on a highway.

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Drivers Licences
Class A
 Any combination of a motor vehicle and
towed vehicles (including tractor-trailer
or truck-trailer combinations and
implements eg: wagons) where the
towed vehicle’s gross weight is more than
4,600 kg (10,140 lbs) empty or loaded (also
includes the towing of farm equipment that
weighs more than 4600 kg when towed with
a motor vehicle)

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Signal to Stop
Or Turn
 Every driver while on a highway must
signal his intent to stop or turn by means
of a plainly visible signal
 The signal above maybe by hand or
mechanical/electrical device

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Off road vehicles
operated by farmers
 Must have a Driver's Licence, Insurance and
Helmet
 The Off-Road Vehicle Act (ORVA) permits a
farmer to drive an off-road vehicle on, along or
across a highway if the vehicle is designed to
travel on more than 2 wheels and bears a slow-
moving vehicle sign. The farmer must have a
valid driver's licence and must be using the off-
road vehicle (ORV) for agricultural purposes.
The operator must comply with all applicable
ORVA provisions.

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Off road vehicles
operated by farmers
 The owner of an ORV cannot allow a child under
the age of 12 to drive the ORV unless the
vehicle is:
 • Driven on land occupied by the vehicle owner;
or
 • Under the close supervision of an adult.

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Load Security
 Exempt from “Load Security Regulation”
 Must be safe for the road, i.e. no bales
able to shift or fall from the vehicle

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Load Security
 Load security Regulations (363/04) apply
 Load must secured as per NSC 10
 Straps, chains or cables required to
prevent load shifting or falling from
vehicle

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Questions
Contacts
London Enquiries 519-873-4286
Web- WWW.MTO.GOV.ON.CA