Muskego Motorists Reminded to Share the Road With Hay Carts

Muskego still has farms and fields with crops ready for harvesting.  This can pose a problem for motorists if they aren't patient behind slow-moving vehicles and take a chance in passing, say police.

"To share the road safely, drivers should slow down immediately whenever they see a florescent orange slow-moving vehicle emblem on the rear of a tractor or other piece of agricultural equipment," explained Lt. Dave Constantineau with the

He also urged 'extreme caution' when passing, especially if you can't see in front of the vehicle you're trying to pass.  Of course, no passing is allowed in zones marked as such, no matter how much of a hurry you're in.  Courtesy in general is also key.

“Farmers and others using animal-drawn vehicles on a roadway have the same rights and duties as operators of motor vehicles.  You should be careful not to frighten the animals.  Do not sound your horn or flash your lights near them, and give the animals plenty of room when passing,” Constantineau said.

The flip side of the advisory cautions those driving the tractors.

"According to state law, farm tractors, agricultural implements, animal-drawn vehicles or other vehicles that are normally operated at speeds below 25 miles-per-hour must display a “Slow Moving Vehicle” (SMV) sign on the left rear of the vehicle. In all cases—even when the vehicle is not a SMV—if it is operated during  hours of darkness, the front and rear of the vehicle must have lights (white to the front, red to the rear) and the lights must be illuminated," he explained. Drivers failing to display the SMV sign or a violating the lighting requirement will cost the driver $162.70 in each case.

In addition, Constantineau said SMVs must stay as far to the right-side of the roadway as practical, adding that common sense and courtesy go a long way to keep rural roadways safe during the harvest season.