State Work Plans

Individuals from each of nine states represented formed a group for discussions (IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, NC, ND, and SD). All state plans will be compiled and sent to all participants of the conference. These plans will be used as the basis for follow-up contacts and surveys to each state contingent to assess each states progress in achieving the activities within their plan.

 Illinois

1. The Illinois attendees will get together again this spring to work on 3 efforts:

• Gear up for an Illinois message for September's National Farm Safety & Health Week. The 2009 theme focuses on the same theme as the conference.
• Plan for a system of farm equipment accident data collection in Illinois.
• Revisit the subject of regulations that impact farm equipment used on public roadways in Illinois.

Sheriff Cady, as President of the Illinois Sheriff's Association, will work on the Association's pursuit of the subject of farm equipment/motorist crashes including a new committee made up of the County Sheriffs attending this conference.

2. Work together on a 2009 pre-planting media message to farmers and motorists about sharing the road safely. The following ideas surfaced:

• Ellen Culver will work on IFB's invitation to Sheriff Cady to include his share the road column in an upcoming issue of Farm Week and schedule interviews on RFD-Illinois radio.
• Bob Aherin will check on Extension news releases that can be sent statewide.

3. Dale Ritzel, as President-elect of the Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association, committed to getting the Association more proactive in teaching about rural road safe driving. He may be able to get a teaching module into the Drivers Education Curriculum currently being updated.

Iowa

Iowa conference attendees will focus on the following activities of their work plan. The Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health has produced a White Paper on the topic as well as other entities sponsoring farm equipment motor vehicle hazard programming.

1. Education

• Work with driver education programs to include a rural road way component that would include education on road surfaces, sharing the road with farm equipment, and distracted drivers.
• Mandate that physically driving on gravel roads be part of the driver education curriculum.
• Collaborate with the Iowa Department of Transportation to include a rural component in the You're a Coach, A Parent's Guide.
• Distribution of the You're a Coach, A Parent's Guide that contains rural roadway information to parents or guardians of new drivers.
• Work with state agencies to focus on farm equipment education for seniors, novices and youth.
• Collaborate with the Iowa Communications Network as well as using other technologies, such as online programs, to communicate farm equipment motor vehicle travel hazards and crash prevention.
• Collaborate with law enforcement agencies to include farm equipment and motor vehicle crash information within their education and training resources.
• Collective effectiveness data on the changes in driver education that may occur in adminstrative rules in driver education.

2. Media Campaign

• Development of materials for National Farm Safety and Health Week that addresses rural roadways.
• Development of Public Service Announcements in both written and audio format that includes quotes from farmers on the subject.
• Coordinate with Iowa State University and other sources such as Trooper Tips to include articles and press releases in their press packets.
• Coordinate regional 'on farm' media events scheduled in various media markets.
• Seek to involve the Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health Producer's Committee to develop an It's Preventable brochure similar to that used in other states.
• Develop and distribute a media campaign with such articles as decals for equipment addressing Buckle Up and using posters to be displayed in convenience stores. Ask law enforcement for their support in the distribution.

3. Lighting and Marking

• Law enforcement should assist in development of cards that contain a summary of lighting and marking laws as well as equipment standards for distribution to farmers.
• Work towards legislation on Slow Moving Vehicle signs and marking. Use similar kits that contain information on SMV Standards and SMV signs. Use lessons learned from efforts in other states that have done this project. This effort would involve elements of social marketing and collaboration with SMV emblem manufacturers.
• Collaborate with relevant entities to provide awareness and education to the general driving public on SMV meaning and recognition as well as farm equipment brake light recognition.
• Recruit sponsors of a SMV exchange program that would provide a new SMV for turning in old ones.
• Evaluation efforts would be the effects of the social marketing campaign in the short term. Long term evaluation would focus on the passing of legislation and the legislation's specific contents.

4. Data Collection

• Conduct an evaluation of the current data collection system by law enforcement when crashes happen..

Kansas

Kansas attendees will use the resources of the Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas State Research and Extension Services to develop partnerships and collaborations with other stake holders to address the current farm equipment motor vehicle crash situation.

1. Bring additional stakeholders to the table, these stakeholders include:

• K-State Rural Transportation Institute
• K-DOT
• KHP
• KS Dept. of Agriculture
• KS Driver's Education
• KS Sheriff's Association

2. Once representative(s) of each stakeholder group is identified, the representatives will meet to discuss perspectives on the current status of these incidents and use discussions and consensus processes to set an agenda.

3. Once an agenda is developed, evaluation components of each activity will be identified. It is expected that collaboration between the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas State Research nd Extension Service will assist in the development of the evaluation components and the analysis of the corresponding data related to those components.

Additional activities will include:

• Promote Farm Safety and Health Week "Rural Roadway Safety" to 105 County Farm Bureaus. Provide Public Service Announcements as well as News Releases and Newspaper Ads on the topic.
• Develop a TIPS card for farmers on the topic of public roadway transportation of farm equipment, its hazards and corresponding best practices. This TIPS card will supplement the current TIPS card previously developed for the non-farm driving public.

Minnesota

The attendee from Minnesota will promote activities within the Minnesota Sheriff's Association and its members on activities to address the situation.

1. Initiate a program with members of the Minnesota Sheriff's Association to contact their local state representatives who have a farming background to explain the law enforcement point of view on farm equipment motor vehicle crashes, what the association members believe the current situation to be, and ways that the association members could assist in reducing these incidents.

2. Initiate a program with the members of the Minnesota Sheriff's Association to contact and work with the driver education programs within their counties to:

• Do presentations on the topic in classrooms.
• Do presentations in conjunction with National Farm Safety nd Health Week activities.
• Speak on the topic/make presentations at the yearly township meetings.
• Place informational handouts at the county fairs.

3. Emphasize the need for enforcement of state motor vehicle codes related to farm equipment lighting and marking, as well as general public driving practices around farm equipment moving on public roadways.

Missouri

Below you will find Missouri's State Plan to proactively address "Marking and Lighting" and "Equipment on the Road Way." As you will note, Missouri's State Plan falls into three areas.

1. Awareness Campaign - To be completed by April 30, 2009

• TV, Radio, and Newspaper interviews
• Public Service Announcements developed by Extension Communication Specialist to be released through media outlets (newspapers, ag magazines, ag newsletters, TV's, Radio, etc.)
• Awareness information to be placed in all Centers for Independent Living Center Newsletters.

2. Education - All goals to be completed by December 31, 2009

• Extension will purchase ASABE approved SMV symbol and Lighting and Marking Kit for Extension Natural Resource Engineers - to be completed by April 30, 2009.
• Develop Safety Link on Extension Homepage - Farm Machinery on the Road - to be completed by April 30, 2009.
• Place Buggy Safety Information link on Extension Homepage. Will also link to other state appropriate web pages - to be completed by April 30, 2009.
• Suggest Junior and Senior level capstones project to ASM, BE, Mechanical Engineering and/or Civil Engineering students - to be completed by December 31, 2009.
• Work with the University of Missouri Extension online Driver Education Coordinator to have SMV symbols included test along with incorporating two rural road way questions on test - to be completed by December 31, 2009.
• Work with Department of Transportation to have Rural Driving Chapter include in Driver Education booklet - to be completed by December 31, 2009.

3. Outreach - to be completed by August 30, 2009

• Extension will meet with Missouri DOT to learn more about what they are doing and explore ideas on ways in which we can work together.
• Extension will meet with Missouri FB to learn more about what they are doing and explore ideas in which we can work together.
• Extension will meet with Missouri FSA to learn more about what they are doing and explore ideas in which we can work together.
• Extension will meet with Missouri Sheriff Association to learn more about what they are doing and explore ideas in which we can work together.

Nebraska

Nebraska attendees intend to focus on education,networking and holding a state summit on these incidents.

1. Education

• Develop a module for youth classes on motor vehicle and farm equipment interaction to be used with:
  • driver education classes;
  • hazardous occupation training;
  • general safety programs, both farm and non-farm; and
  • new hires within law enforcement agencies.

2. Networking

• Initiate a system for sharing general information on the hazards of farm equipment and motor vehicle interaction on public roads as well as farm equipment motor vehicle crash summaries, particularly on web site links among the several stakeholder groups with concerns related to the issue.
• Plan for a state summit. The goals of this summit would be:
  • to provide background information on these incidents to all concerned parties and
  • to develop public service announcements as well as other communication strategies to improve knowledge related to Rural/Urban Traffic Hazards
  • to seek representatives from Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture, Nebraska Safety Center, Nebraska Extension Service, Nebraska Law Enforcement Agencies, Nebraska Department of Roads, and others.

North Carolina

North Carolina has done considerable research on the characteristics of farm equipment motor vehicle crashes. As well, separate efforts related to the reduction of such incidents have taken place.

• Develop a FEMV advisory group (including champion farmers/motorists - those who have experienced a FEMV crash or fatality in their family)
• Review current equipment marking and lighting requirements, license requirements, drivers education curriculum, etc. for NC (and other states).
• Convene a meeting similar to this one to discuss FEMV safety in NC and possibly 2-3 other states (SC, VA, GA).
• In addition to Costello/Shulman work, determined what other statistics regarding FEMV crashes, fatalities, etc. are available; establish a mechanism for routinely compiling and disseminating information.
• Determine what is already being done to address tractor/farm equipment roadway safety and what recommendations for change are from:
  • Farmers
  • Motorists
  • Department of Motor Vehicles
  • Department of Transportation
  • Drivers Education
  • Farm Bureau and other insurers
  • Cooperative Extension
  • Equipment dealers and other agribusiness farm supply
  • Governor's Highway Safety Program
  • Injury Prevention Centers
  • Department of Labor
  • Law enforcement (including associations)
  • Rural electric cooperatives
  • Department of Agriculture
  • And others...
• Identify funds to:
  • Update current "Be Safe/Be Seen: brochure previously developed in NC by Cooperative Extension
  • Develop (or purchase if already available) DVD on FEMV in English and Spanish for distribution to farmers, farm workers, Cooperative Extension, Growers Association, migrant/seasonal farm worker outreach programs, Farm Services Agencies and health care providers.
  • Develop (or purchase if already available) DVD on FEMV in English and Spanish for distribution to drivers education, 4-H, FFA, scouts, and other groups in NC working with youth.
  • Develop/disseminate FEMV education materials in English/Spanish as needed (use health education, public health, communications/technology students as possible), include poster, payroll stuffers, pocket cards, etc. Topics to include, but limited to, lighting and marking, share the road, driver error, etc.
• Establish partnerships with law enforcement and incorporate into education/outreach events (i.e., Cooperative Extension, farm shows, AgriSafe-NC events, etc) to address FEMV.
• Work with university news service to release information to media re: FEMV with planting, harvest, etc. and Farm Safety Week (also prepare materials for this week for Cooperative Extension, FFA, 4-H, law enforcement, etc.).
• Integrate FEMV safety into NC Agromedicine website and AgriSafge-NC materials/activities.
  • Work with FFA, 4-H, scouts, church youth groups, farmers, dealers, and others to do service projects for farm equipment marking and lighting updates.
• Explore opportunities for additional FEMV research including causes of crashes, engineering designs, and effectiveness of prevention/intervention nd education/outreach strategies.
  • Follow-up on possibility of collaboration between Iowa, NC and Ag Health Study stats on traumatic injury.

North Dakota

Attendees from North Dakota indicate three educational and awareness activities will be pursued.

1. The North Dakota Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association will be completely rewriting the North Dakota Driver Education Curriculum this summer. A committee has been set up and plans to meet at three different times this summer. Each planning session will consist of two and one-half days. Three people will be in attendance from the Oregon Driver Education Association to help the North Dakota Committee complete this project. After attending this conference in Des Moines, Larry Nagel will definitely push for a chapter/unit on Farm Equipment/Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention. Mr. Nagel believes with North Dakota being a very rural, agricultural state, that it is very crucial the curriculum has information in regards to safely transporting farm implements on rural, county and state highways.

2. Continuing to educate farmers and/or ranchers about safety on the roadway and proper use of lighting, signs, reflectors, and the potential for using more mirrors. A collaboration with the North Dakota Equipment Dealers Association will be pursued to reach as many farmers/ranchers as possible when visiting dealers for equipment or part.

3. Initiate contacts with the sponsors of the recent motorcycle safety campaign for information on their efforts. Awareness materials could include cards, separate mailings or stuffers for regular mailing of various entities, or development of brochures on sharing the roadway for both farmers and non-farmers.

South Dakota

Attendees from South Dakota indicated efforts on developing materials and using already established communications lines to raise awareness and increase knowledge.

• A TIPS sheet containing information on farm equipment and motor vehicle hazards and crash prevention will be developed using examples from other states and converted to pdf format. This pdf will be communicated to the 350 corporate members of the South Dakota Safety Council for use within their facilities, through posters, and directly with their employees. Data on the use of the pdf in various formats will be gathered.
• Information such as the TIPS sheet will be used as part of the content within the customary seasonal mail stuffers.
• The TIPS sheet and other farm equipment motor vehicle hazards and crash prevention will be used in the large safety display during the South Dakota State Fair.
• Content for use in the driver education courses provided by the South Dakota Safety Council related to farm equipment and motor vehicle hazards and crash prevention will be developed.