Is It Illegal To Pass Tractors On Iowa Roads?

As the weather warms up, we are seeing more traffic hit the roads and more tractors.

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Accidents involving tractors on roadways can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common are left turns, rear-ending, and passing.

Around 1 in 25 farm vehicle accidents happen when a car is trying to pass a tractor. They can happen because people forget to account for extra-wide equipment or because people are not following road laws.

With the delays to get the planting started this year, farmers are working fast to get seeds into the ground, but that doesn’t mean they will be driving quickly.

As tempting as it is to pass one of these slow-moving vehicles, you must be aware of your surroundings.

Standard road laws are still in place- meaning if there is a solid yellow line, it is illegal to pass any vehicle, even a slow-moving tractor. If you are caught illegally passing a tractor, WQAD says it can cost you around $200 in fines.

Most tractors have road speeds of 15-20 mph with some being able to drive 35-40 mph.

Even if you get caught behind a tractor in a no-passing zone for two miles, the time it will take to get to a safe passing area is the equivalent of waiting at two stoplights.

Other Types of Collisions

The most common tractor roadway collision occurs from left-hand turns. Around 1 in every 5 farm vehicle collisions are from left-hand turns.

These happen when the farm vehicle takes a left turn as the car behind them tries to pass. When turning a big vehicle, especially if it has a trailer, the driver will swing right before turning left to make a wide turn. This is sometimes mistaken as the farm vehicle pulling over to let the person pass.

The next most common accident is rear-ended collision. Just like the left turn, this happens in around 1 in every 5 farm vehicle collisions.

These accidents happen when people misjudge speeds as they come up to a slow-moving vehicle.