By Kylee Krank
Every fall in North Dakota and Minnesota, the roads fill up with combines, tractors, grain carts, and semis hauling crops to an elevator or piler. It’s part of life here. It’s also one of the most dangerous times of year to drive a rural highway.
Most harvest-season crashes aren’t caused by bad drivers or careless farmers. They happen because a car going 60 miles per hour (MPH) and a combine going 15 MPH end up in the same lane, and one of them misjudges the other.
The speed gap is bigger than you think
Here’s the math most drivers never do. If you’re going 55 MPH and come up behind a tractor going 15 MPH, you’re closing in at 40 MPH. That’s nearly 60 feet every second.
A tractor that looks a quarter mile away can be right in front of you in about 20 seconds. Add dust, a hill, or late-afternoon sun, and that window gets even shorter.
The two most common harvest crashes
The rear-end crash. A driver crests a hill or rounds a curve and doesn’t realize how slowly the equipment ahead is moving until it’s too late to stop.
The left-turn crash. This is the most dangerous one. A farmer slows down and moves slightly right to swing wide into a field. The driver behind thinks the farmer is pulling over to let them pass. The driver goes around on the left, just as the combine turns left, directly into their path.
Wide equipment often has to use more than its lane. A combine head can stretch across the center line, and a slight move right doesn’t always mean “go ahead.”
Why these crashes are so serious
When a car collides with farm equipment, the car almost always loses. A large combine can weigh more than 15 tons, many times the weight of a typical passenger vehicle. Farm equipment is also built high off the ground, with heavy steel headers, augers, and hitches that can crush a car’s roof or push into the passenger compartment instead of hitting the bumper. This is why harvest crashes often cause life-changing injuries or deaths.
Location makes it worse. Many of these crashes happen on rural roads, miles from the nearest hospital and even farther from a trauma center. Emergency help can take longer to arrive, and every minute matters with serious injuries.
Equipment operators can be badly hurt too. Tractors and combines can roll over when struck or pushed into a ditch, and many older tractors have no cab or rollover protection.
Tips for drivers
- Slow down the moment you see an orange triangle. That slow-moving vehicle emblem means the vehicle ahead is traveling far below highway speed.
- Slow down at beet pilers and elevators. Roadways can become slippery or rough at these sites.
- Never pass in a no-passing zone, even if the equipment is crawling. No-passing zones exist because you can’t see what’s coming.
- Watch for turn signals and hand signals, and assume a farm vehicle might turn left into a field or driveway at any time.
- Be patient. Most farmers will pull over when it’s safe. A few minutes behind a tractor beats a lifetime of consequences.
Tips for farmers and operators
- Keep lights, flashers, and the orange triangle clean and working, especially during dusk and dawn.
- Use an escort vehicle for oversized equipment when you can.
- Avoid the busiest roads and times when possible, like school bus hours or the evening commute.
- Signal early before turning, and check your mirrors for vehicles trying to pass.
Who’s at fault when a crash happens?
It depends on the facts. Fault in a harvest crash can fall on the passing driver, the equipment operator, or both. Sometimes a farm operation, an employer, or even an equipment manufacturer shares responsibility, for example when lights or reflectors fail.
North Dakota and Minnesota both reduce your recovery by your share of the fault, and the two states draw the cutoff at slightly different points. In North Dakota, you can’t recover if you’re 50% or more at fault. In Minnesota, you can recover as long as your fault isn’t greater than the other party’s.
Insurance can also get complicated. Farm policies, commercial policies, and your own auto coverage may all come into play.
If you’re hurt in a crash with farm equipment
Get medical care first. Then take photos of the scene, the equipment, and any lights or markings. Get names of witnesses, and don’t give a recorded statement to an insurance company until you understand your rights. These cases often turn on details like visibility, signals, and speed that fade fast.
Harvest only lasts a few weeks. Slowing down for a few minutes can keep everyone headed home safely.
Conclusion
If you have been injured in a car crash, don’t wait to seek legal help. Contact us at SW&L Attorneys by calling 701-297-2890, or emailing us at: info@swlattorneys.com.
This article is for informational purposes only and is subject to our disclaimer.
