YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

Texas Legislature to act on slow moving vehicle bills

By Gene Hall
Publisher

It’s a red and orange triangular emblem affixed to the back of vehicles traveling less than 25 miles per hour. What to do when you see one? Good drivers slow down. The closing speed with a vehicle moving that slowly is deceptive.

Slow-moving vehicles (SMVs) can be bicycles, four wheelers and, especially this time of year, farm equipment. Farmers have no choice but to transport their equipment over public roads. Drivers should always respect speed and separation distance.

When it’s safe, most tractor drivers pull over and let traffic pass. The problem is that Texas law does not currently include farm equipment in the legal definition of vehicles that may drive on the road shoulder. Bills in the Texas Legislature this session could fix that.

Everyone is busy and often impatient these days. It can certainly be annoying to be stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle. However, a collision with a tractor could change our perception of busy schedules.

No one is in that big of a hurry.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

You may read this week’s editorial above or listen to the audio version.

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