An Assessment of the Safety Performance of Farm Vehicles Subject to Exemptions Under MAP-21: Analysis Brief

https://doi.org/10.21949/15030122016PDFTech ReportRRA-14-003(b)Farm vehiclesVehicle safetyCovered farm vehiclescovered farm carriersMAP-21Section 32934United StatesUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationUnited States Federal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationThe Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) requires that the Secretary of Transportation conduct a \u201cSafety Study\u201d of covered farm vehicles. The Act defines a \u201ccovered farm vehicle\u201d as a vehicle that: MAP-21 requires that the Safety Study address specific subject areas, which are listed with study findings in Table 1 on the following page. In response to the requirement, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration\u2019s (FMCSA\u2019s) Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology, with support from FMCSA\u2019s Office of Field Operations, performed an analysis of the required subject areas. METHODOLOGY Because a farm is not defined in MAP-21, this study uses a definition historically used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): in order for a business to qualify as a farm, it must engage in animal husbandry or cultivate a crop; however businesses engaged in such activities whose operations extend to the preparation and packaging of their products are not considered farms. \u2022 Is operated by a farm or ranch owner or operator, or an employee or family member of a farm or ranch owner or operator. \u2022 Transports agricultural commodities, livestock, machinery, or supplies to or from a farm or ranch. \u2022 Is not used in for-hire operations. \u2022 Does not transport hazardous materials (HM) that require a placard. \u2022 Is equipped with a special \u201cfarm\u201d license plate or other designation issued by the State in which the vehicle is registered. \u2022 Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight, whichever is greater, of 26,001 pounds or less; or has a GVWR greater than 26,001 pounds and travels either within the State where it is registered or within 150 air miles of the farm or ranch that the vehicle is servicing.84