BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[tractor]](/editions/1998/10/14/tractor_180x119.jpg)
Drivers wait for farmer Fred Vonderhaar on Mason-Morrow Road in Warren County.
(Steven M. Herppich photo)
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A decade ago, Greater Cincinnati farmers moved tractors and combines from field to field without encountering much traffic. They recognized the few passersby, smiled and waved.
But now, farmers report that they increasingly face unfamiliar drivers who give a "one-finger salute." Some motorists shout obscenities as they pass farm equipment even on blind curves, farmers say.
It's rural road rage.
And as urban commuters push farther and farther into farm country and slow-moving agricultural equipment is joined by zooming cars, farmers report increasing tension and danger for themselves and motorists on once-rural roads. And encounters between Hondas and John Deeres are even more likely now as harvest season approaches its peak.
"You get hand gestures and you can read lips," said Steve Flaig, 48, who farms in Boone County. "I had a couple of incidents where it almost came to blows."
But beyond rude gestures, farmers are concerned about safety. "You've got so much development going on, and the roads just were not designed for that volume of traffic," said L.J. Osborne, Kenton County extension agent and farm educator. "Combine that with slow-moving vehicles, and it's a hairy situation."
The greatest fear was realized last month when an Adams County farmer died after a car attempted to pass his tractor. The car swerved back when the driver realized another car was in the oncoming lane, police said.
Farmers say it's only a matter of time before there are more serious accidents.
"We've been lucky," said Fred Vonderhaar, who farms in Warren County along U.S. 42 between the Mason and Lebanon areas. "But it is going to happen. You can see the writing on the wall."
Impatient commuters
The rural road-rage problem is twofold: Some motorists moving from the city to a more rural area get impatient with slow-moving vehicles and try to maneuver around them when they shouldn't. Others don't understand that they are going to encounter farm equipment on the roads, and they suddenly find themselves on top of slow-moving vehicles.
Farmers have seen some drivers pass them on blind curves and at double yellow lines.
They've watched cars pass their slow-moving farm equipment at hills where drivers could not see whether a car was approaching. And when large farm equipment has spilled over into an oncoming lane, motorists sometimes do not budge so both vehicles can fit down the narrow road safely.
"Some pull off into a driveway to let you pass," said John Hardin, 69, who has farmed in Clermont County for 47 years. "Some expect you to run into the ditch."
Doug Peters, of South Lebanon, gets frustrated when he gets caught behind farm equipment on his way to classes at Miami University.
"But I wait to pass on a straightaway where I can see," said Mr. Peters, 23. "I've seen people pass on the right, pass on the left, pass in double lines and over hills where you can't see."
It's that kind of driving that worries farmers.
They've tried to adjust their schedules to avoid peak travel times. Most don't take their equipment out on the roadways between 6:30 and 8 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m.
Farmers driving on more-narrow roads try to drive with a pickup truck accompanying them with hazard lights to warn drivers a wide load is moving through.
"I don't want to hold anybody up," Mr. Vonderhaar said. "If there's a way I didn't have to be on the road, I wouldn't. It's not a suitable situation."
Mr. Flaig said he sometimes gets up at 2:30 a.m. to start moving equipment to fields.
"It's just another way we're trying to make it easier for them and for us," he said.
Drivers beware
As farmers adjust to the changing roadways, urban motorists moving to a more rural lifestyle need to adjust their driving habits, too, farmers say.
"We're not in Cincinnati or on I-75," Mr. Osborne said. "You're the one who moved into our territory this time."
Part of the process is teaching drivers that farm equipment needs to be on the roads and has every right to be on the road, said Joe Cornely, spokesman for the American Farm Bureau Federation's Ohio division.
"They are just out there trying to do their job and make a living for their family," he said.
"When you move to the country, you also have to put up with agriculture, whether it's the smell, machines running through the night or traffic on their road," added Greg Meyer, Warren County extension agent. Farm safety experts say drivers near farms need to:
Be aware that farm equipment is sometimes too wide to fit in a lane. Farmers usually try to move over, but guardrails and ditches can sometimes prevent them from doing that. If that happens, move over to the shoulder.
Be alert for farm vehicles. They usually are moving only 20 mph to 25 mph. Slow-moving equipment is usually marked with reflective orange triangles.
"The other drivers don't realize how slow they (farm vehicle drivers) are going and don't stop or slow down fast enough; so they hit them from the front, rear or side," said Tom Bean, professor at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Wait to pass farm equipment until it is safe to do so.
"You can't be in a hurry," Mr. Flaig said. "Life isn't as fast in the country as it is in town."
![[tractor]](/editions/1998/10/14/tractor_500x330.jpg)