When you pull out from a driveway, you’re not looking to be involved in a crash. However, every time you leave a driveway you should be prepared and ready to avoid a crash.
Two keep aspects of roadway safety are visibility and predictability.
Visibility includes lights, flashers, turn signals, SMV emblem, extremity marking, and flags. Each of these items has an important role in making your equipment seen by other motorists. Questions and Answers on Lighting and Marking on Public Roads covers 6 common questions.
Predictability relates to your actions as the operator and communicating to the other motorists your actions. It also includes your actions as a defensive driver in paying attention to the actions of motorists and the roadway. Here are some key actions to help relay to motorists your future actions.
- Use turn signals or hand signals. You are required by law to use turn signals or hand signals. Operators commonly comment that motorists don’t pay attention to turn signals. However, if you’re involved in an accident and didn’t signal, you increase your liability for the accident.
- Travel on the roadway. If you’re driving half on the shoulder and half on the roadway, it’s sending a mixed message to the motorist behind you. It is better to use the whole lane of the road. Be careful to not cross over the center line. Now when that mailbox or narrow bridge comes up, you won’t need to pull as far back onto the road and take an action the motorist isn’t expecting.
Wisconsin State Statutes related to agricultural equipment on public roads has been compiled into a single document. WI Laws for Public Roads 7.9.08
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has a series of articles related to “Wisconsin Farmers on the Road. These articles are available here at WisDOT’s website.