BERRIEN COUNTY — The arrival of spring/summer means that farmers will be out planting crops and many farm vehicles will be sharing the rural roads with the flow of rapidly moving traffic, and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department urges drivers to share the road.

Representatives with the sheriff’s department said farm equipment is allowed by law and most times must operate on roadways to get from their farm to fields or field to field. Just as motorists are allowed to operate their vehicles on public roadways, farmers are legally allowed to operate farm equipment on these same roads.

Farm equipment may be wider than one lane, or in some cases wider than the road and travels at slow speeds, typically 10 to 15 mph. If a motorist is approaching a piece of wide farm equipment, the sheriff’s department said they slow down and be patient.

“The farmer understands that your trip may be delayed and they most times will pull off the road at the first available safe location to allow you to pass,” wrote Undersheriff Charles E. Heit in a public service announcement. “Patience is necessary to ensure the safety of motorists and operators of slow-moving farm equipment. We all have the obligation to share the road in a safe manner.”

The sheriff’s department offered the following safety tips for motorists following or approaching farm equipment:

• Pass with caution if a farmer has pulled off the road to allow traffic to pass, or if they cannot pull off the road but you feel you can pass in a safe manner.

• Be watchful of motor vehicles behind you that may try to pass.

• Do not pass if you must enter the oncoming traffic lane unless you can see clearly ahead of you and the vehicle you will pass.

• Do not pass if there are curves or hills ahead that may block your view or the view of oncoming vehicles.

• Do not pass in a designated “No Passing Zone” or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad crossing or bridge.

• Do not assume that a farm vehicle pulls to the right side of the road is going to let you pass. Due to the size of some farm implements, the farmer must use wide left-hand turns. If you are unsure, check for turn signals or operator hand signals. Also, check the left side of the road for driveways, gates or any place a farm vehicle might turn into.

• Do not assume the farmer can see you or knows you are there if you are following. Most operators are regularly checking traffic behind them and newer farm equipment is equipped with mirrors, but farmers must spend most of the time looking ahead to keep equipment safely on the road and to watch or oncoming traffic.