(Indianapolis, IN) - Motorists are being asked to be courteous and patient with farmers heading out to their fields soon in tractors and other machinery.

"I want to encourage all motorists this spring to slow down, drive safely and share our roads with farmers and their large slow moving equipment,” said Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith, who’s also the state’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

In 2022, eleven occupants were involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana which resulted in one death, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The most common types of farm equipment motorists will encounter during planting season include sprayers, tractors pulling planters or tillage equipment, and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph.

Among the safety tips from law enforcement include no tailgating or passing on the left until certain the farmer ahead is not planning to turn left.