FARMROADSAFE T Y
Better Farming March 2017
Modfos/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo
It was an early morning when Bryon
Wilson, a cash crop farmer, headed
out in his tractor on the rural roads of
Caledon toward Brampton to plant
his soybeans. He expected some
traffic but did not expect the close call
with a motorist that would eventually
push him to give up a portion of his
farmland for good.
“I usually try to get up early
enough in the morning to beat some
of the traffic,” he says. “You would
“The truck behind me hit his air
think before 6 o’clock in the morning
horn three times. All I was thinking
it would not be busy, but it was.”
is, ‘I will be out of the road in two
While sitting at traffic lights that
would bring him off his rural line and seconds. Leave me alone,’” Wilson
says.
onto Mayfield Road – a busy, two Wilson throttled his tractor down
lane highway in Brampton – Wilson
and began his right turn. All of a
was alarmed to hear the 6 a.m. news
sudden, a motorcycle jetted out in
come on his radio. The news indicatfront of him on the right-hand
ed increased traffic for the morning
shoulder.
commute.
“He (the motorcyclist) got through
When Wilson turned left onto the
there. I have no idea how, but he
busy highway, he observed a transpassed everyone on the shoulder of
port truck waiting at the red light.
the road and found
Knowing that he had
enough room to get
to travel only a short
through without
distance to reach his
getting hit,” says
field, Wilson hoped he
Wilson. “If I had been
would make it there
a split-second earlier,
before the truck
I would have hit him
caught up to him.
and gone over him
Unfortunately, he
with the duals and the
was wrong. “I couldn’t
drill. I was in the field
see behind him (the
before I could even
transport truck
get stopped.”
driver). I had no idea
Wilson, having
how many (vehicles)
Lewis Smith
suffered from a heart
were behind him. But
attack in the past, was
I knew there would be
overcome with
a lot because they were
anxiety.
all stopped at the red
“I stopped (the
light. No one could
tractor) and I was
pass me because there
spent. It took me 10 to
was too much traffic”
15 minutes to catch
travelling in the
my thoughts,” he says.
opposite direction, he
“I promised myself
explains. Wilson was
right then and there
also taking up a large
that when I got that
share of the road with
crop off this year (in
his John Deere 8100
2016), it would be the
dually, hauling a
last time I ever
15-foot no-till drill.
Peter Jeffery
crossed Mayfield
When Wilson
Road.”
finally approached his
Staying
true
to
his word, Wilson
field, he fired up his right-turn
gave
up
that
farmland.
indicator and four-ways to signal his
“It’s just not worth it. I am 66 years
intention to turn.
old. I do not know how much longer I
am going to be doing this, but I do
know I am not crossing Mayfield
anymore,” he says. “I would rather
give up the land than kill somebody.”
Reflecting on the close call, Wilson
realized the truck driver was only
trying to warn him of the approaching motorcycle. “I do greatly appreciate what the trucker was trying to do
at the time,” he says. In fact, “most
drivers are very courteous. It’s the
ones that don’t seem to respect my
space” that stand out.
Farmers “are not trying to be
difficult,” Wilson explains. “If people
would just realize this and understand why we are out there (on the
roads) in the first place.”
Farther east, Josie Linton, Durham
West Junior Farmers’ Club member
and Region of Durham’s queen of the
furrow, comes from a family farm
that has also experienced the stress of
moving equipment on roads.
Linton believes awareness and
discussion are beneficial to both
equipment operators and motorists.
“Education is key when it comes to
safety,” she says. “Through stories and
lessons, we can help prevent farm
equipment incidents on the road.”
In Wilson’s case, some may argue
that no amount of motorist education
or farmer preparedness could have
stopped the motorcyclist from
making that risky decision. However,
because of the seemingly increasing
number of drivers on rural roads,
farmers should remain cautious and
reassess their road safety protocols.
Risks
Farmers most frequently note the
challenge of “turning off the road,
especially a left turn as you have to
Ate Today? Thank a Farmer.
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