What would YOU do ??

[Dutchman]

Was wondering what I should do ...I have a old Case La and it goes down the road at about 12 mph...I do some plowing with the club and different things...now I want to help pick corn and I have a Gravity flow wagon...
The problem is the wagon is too tall to see behind me on the road,...I put 4 Flashing Lites on it...2 red ones about 3 feet off the ground and 2 amber ones about 7 feet off the ground...and theres a SMV sign on the back..
Now the QUESTION...I have the refelecting tape [ like whats on trucks ] Should I put a "SLOW" on the back of the wagon with the tape ??
I don't travel at dark ...and I stay as far to the right as I can..[ found out if you travel on shoulder the ins. is NO GOOD ]

Want to THANK YOU inadvance....Mark

 

[Lanse]

Id personally say screw it and stick with the lights, but I dont know about the traffic and how far you are going. Orrrrr, id get an escort car to drive behind me with flashers on and a 2 way radio between you and it. But thats just me.

 

[Bob]

It's certainly good to hear from "the voice of experience"!

 

[TomH in PA]

If someone coming up behind you doesn't see the SMV sign and four flashing lights on a big gravity wagon, nothing else you add will make any difference.

 

[RobMD]

I didn't use to do ANYTHING. What you're doing is what I would probably have to do now, though.

Don't do any more, it's overkill. Traffic safety officials would commend you for having tons of lights.

 

[Dutchman]

THANKS for your input...That's what I was wondering ...if you can do too MUCH...
THANKS....< Mark

 

[Anonymous-0]

:^ )

 

[Lanse]

Plus, sort of like someone elce said, if someone couldnt see a 7' grain wagon, an SMV, and 4 flashing lights, well, if your wagon doesnt do em' in something elce will........

 

[armand tatro]

I would mount a rear-view mirror to both sides on your tractor so you can see what is beside and behind you like the big trucks use. Armand

 

[noncompos]

Welll...with all due respect, on the question of "overkill"...it's not so much a question of what's legal, required, necessary, or "enough"...it's a question of how you'd feel if some idiot plowed into you, maybe hurting or killing innocent passengers, and there was something you'd thought of adding, but hadn't..Even though it's something completely beyond your control, it's also one of those situations where you're a hostage of fate, and a little overkill might save you from lying awake some nights, wondering.

 

[Walt Davies]

Kind of depends on the road that you are traveling.
I see cop cars with all kinds of flashing lights that get hit on the freeway.

I would use what ever I felt was good enough to be seen according to where I was driving.

A small flashing strobe light on a pole about one ft. above the trailer would pretty much get anyones attention that is driving with all there senses but if not then all the lights and flashers and what ever else you can come up with won't help one bit.

Walt

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Mark,

Here in Arizona were required to have stop lites and turn signals if you can NOT give hand signals for the other drivers too see.

I couldn't find anything about SMV signage in the rules but the county hands out free SMV signs at times.

Me, I'd rather ruin a tire when I have a flat rather than stop on the side of the road. People are just not careful enough to risk my life for a $100 tire.

They just nailed another road flagger out in the country where we live. Never found out how they were doing.

T_Bone

 

[paul]

I wouldn't spell anything out - the SMV sign is the deal that tells people you are slow. Don't make dumb drivers try to read - it distracts them!

A strip across the back on the wagon axle is a good idea, it tends to stay reflective a long time as the wagon shields it from the sun & weather some, & the low location seems to catch some people's attention better.

--->Paul

 

[super99]

Couldn't hurt to do that, thought about doing that when I was pulling wagons to town with tractor. Most drivers have no clue what the orange triangle means. They see them used as driveway markers and many more things that they aren't meant for. I have seen wagons with SLOW written across the back, think it's a good idea. Now I'll drive several miles out of the way to stay on backroads. Never had an accident, but have had idiots pass me and cut back in so close that I have had to turn wheels right to miss their bumper. Was driving MF750 to town on the highway one time and looking for cars, didn't see any and I open the door and leaned out to spit and there was a lady so close that her hood was almost under the chopper. Had not met a car in over a mile so she had plenty of room to get around. There was a good shoulder there so I pulled onto it and she finally floored it and went on. Chris

 

[Anonymous-0]

Overkill is good, but you could put a lighthouse on top of your wagon, and some people would be too stupid, distracted, drunk, or just plain bull-headed to see it or understand it.

Around here, at least once every winter, some fool rear-ends a state snowplow truck. Big orange dump truck, orange strobes on top, and two more big orange strobes on the tailgate. As I said, stupid distracted or drunk, and absolutely no clue about relative speeds.

I rent 20 acres of hay land about 6 miles from my home place. Four miles of that is state highway, not a lot of traffic, but some of it is pretty crooked, with poor visibility ahead. Moving a whole spread of machinery there and back twice every summer can be nerve wracking to say the least. If I don't have to change my shorts at least once every year I feel pretty lucky. The worst is passing when there is no way they can see. I don't want to wish anybody any bad luck, but where is the cement truck when you need it? I often use an escort car, but it isn't always possible. If I see the town cop on my way, I ask him to put his flashers on and follow me through the worst of it. I keep hoping somebody will do something stupid while he is behind me, but it never happens. If I were traveling that road every day, like the farmers that live on it ,I would invest in some pretty powerful warning lights.

One thing to remember, lights etc. may not prevent a crash, but in the unfortunate event of one, you will be less likely to be held responsible.

 

[Iowa_tire_guy]

My Dad told of a man moving a barn down the highway in the 50's and a trooper stopped him wanting him to put a red flag on the trailer. He asked the trooper how someone was going to see a red flag if they didn't see a red barn. Didn't matter the law said he had to have a red flag. So he took out his handkerchief and tied it on the back and everyone was happy.

 

[Randy-IA]

Harold , You hit the nail on the head with the last line in your second paragraph - " As I said, stupid distracted or drunk, and absolutely no clue about relative speeds " . Even stupid drivers SEE the big thing moving in front of them they just can't figure out how FAST they are approaching it until they are right on top of it because it's moving in the same direction they are . I'm not defending it but I've been in that situation myself . Mostly on slight rolling hills where you never lose sight of what's in front but it's rolling away downhill as you approach . It's deceptive . Lights ( bright strobes ) help because at least most people know that an amber warning light means to be cautious . ...Randy

 

[RayP(MI)]

One of the worst nasties is a police car stopped behind a vehicle on a traffic stop - flashing lights going on the rear. Drunks will very often focus in on those lights and hit the patrol car dead on!

 

[Anonymous-0]

I had a bad tire on my car and could only do 45mph. I moved over to the far right side of the pavement, so that people would be able to see around me to pass. Mr cop got behind me and no one would pass him because they would have had to do a double pass. I gave him my opinion and he gave me a ticket for operating my vehicle outside the lane boundaries.
A solid line, whether it is yellow or white, designates your lane of traffic. If your road is wide enough to have 24" of pavement to the right of the white line, you need to be to the left of that line to be legal. The D.A. had to look it up and agreed with the cop.
SDE

 

[paul]

I'm sure you are quite correct.

'Here' that will get a whole bunch of wrecks. People will blast around you, any way they can....

Slow moving ag equipment with SMV under 30 mph is sometimes different regulations than your car?

I been hauling crop this fall, never saw so many police in town, county & state cops on the state highway & county road.

None bothered me on the shoulder with my tractor & 2 wagons. Most have waved to me.

--->Paul