Farm fatalities declined in Illinois, but ‘still too high’

[October 10, 2022]  By Zeta Cross | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – As the 2022 Illinois farming season winds down, the number of farm fatalities for the year is lower than average. So far this year, seven farm-related deaths have been recorded in Illinois. That’s down from 10 in a typical year.

Rodney Knittel, assistant director of Transportation and Infrastructure for the Illinois Farm Bureau, told The Center Square that the statistics may look better but seven deaths is too many deaths.

"I know there are a lot of near misses that are not reflected in the statistics," Knittel said.

Most farm accidents are preventable. Even one death is too many, Knittel said.

At least half the farm deaths in Illinois every year occur on rural roadways when farmers are moving heavy equipment from one field to another. On Sept. 27th in Christian County two farmers were killed when their Freightliner grain truck overturned after colliding with a passenger car.

Brian Callan, 34 years old, and 29-year-old Keirsty Hughes, both of Blue Mound, were killed when their truck flipped over at an intersection. The passenger in the car, Sarah Myers, 36, also died in the collision. The driver of the car was seriously injured.

By necessity, farmers take their heavy equipment on the roads to move it from one field to another, Knittel said.

From planting season in the spring through harvest season, motorists should expect to share the roads with farm equipment that is traveling at a very slow rate of speed, he said.

“Because of the risk, farmers hate being on the roads with their heavy machinery,” Knittel said. “Every farmer knows of an accident or a near accident that has happened on the road.”

Half the fatal farm accidents are the result of rear end collisions where passenger cars crash into farm vehicles, Knittel said. Motorists drive over a hill or attempt to overtake a slow moving piece of farm machinery. They are unable to stop or are unable to pull over in time to avoid a collision.

"Motorists don’t understand how quickly they will come up on a farm vehicle when it is going very slowly -- 20 or 30 mph,” Knittel said.

Motorists should be prepared to stop when farm equipment is negotiating a turn, he said. The farmer may be turning where there is no intersection or driveway. Modern farm vehicles have flashing lights, turn signals, brake lights and hazard lights but the motorist needs to be attentive.

“The lights can be confusing for motorists," Knittel said.

During harvest season, it is more important than ever to slow down and be patient, he said.

“We’re all in a hurry. We all need to be some place,” Knittel said. "The farmer has a job to do. The people driving are trying to get to a job or take the kids to school or whatever. During harvest season, the safest thing to do is to accept the delay and wait it out.”

Being late is not the end of the world.

"What matters is getting home safely," Knittel said.