By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Everyone responsible for road safety during harvest season

Aug 20, 2021 | 11:54 AM

RED DEER, Alta. — Lacombe County is offering a safety reminder as harvest continues, but not just for farmers.

It notes first that the harvest season has kicked off significantly earlier than usual due to the dry, hot summer.

Travellers are reminded to keep safety at the forefront, whether driving a van, pulling a camping trailer, or behind the wheel of a combine or semi-truck.

Slow-moving farm equipment will be on the roads along with commuters, which increases the need to drive considerately.

“Lacombe County is an agricultural community. The summer produced too much heat and not enough rain, and our producers need to complete their annual harvest quickly in order to save as much yield as possible,” said Lacombe County Reeve Paula Law.

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“With that in mind, road courtesy is important no matter where you are driving, and we ask everyone to practice patience on local roads — whether you’re driving in Lacombe County or venturing elsewhere in the province.”

Stories about unsafe driving have come in each year, especially since 2014 when Lacombe County began its harvest safety campaign.

‘We are a rural county, and during harvest season, we ask agricultural producers, travellers and day-to-day drivers using county roads to stay alert, stay patient and stay safe,” added Reeve Law.

Safety tips include:

• Ensure safe transport of equipment on public roadways.
• Be aware of motorists.
• Follow all rules of the road.
• Ensure all lights and reflectors are in place and in good working order. A slow-moving vehicle emblem should be in place and visible from the rear.
• Return equipment to transport mode to make it as narrow as possible.
• Check your route before transport to ensure equipment fits safely under power lines and over bridges or culverts that need to be crossed.