Evaluation of Tractor and Grain Wagon Safety Marking at Selected Commercial Iowa Grain Elevators

The three categories of agents involved in the largest number of agricultural fatalities in Iowa are tractors, other farm machinery, and motor vehicles. All are involved during harvest as grain is transported on public roadways. Forty-eight percent of all motor vehicle collisions involving farm equipment in Iowa occur from October through December. Tractors and wagons delivering grain to six elevators during fall harvest were evaluated. Vocational agriculture student teams inspected for compliance with Iowa code and ASAE standards for lighting, marking, hitch, and ROPS safety equipment.A majority of tractors complied with safety standards for: headlights, front amber flashing lights, slow moving vehicle (SMV) emblem, and roll over protection structure (ROPS). Tractors less than eight years old met Iowa code and ASAE safety standards for rear amber flashing lights and rear taillight.Tractors less than 15 years old were more likely to be equipped with ROPS (98%) than were tractors more than 15 years old (67%). Compliance with safety items other than ROPS did not significantly differ among tractor age groups. A majority of wagons at the elevators complied with ASAE safety standards for an SMV emblem and retainer on the hitch pin. Other wagon safety items all had lower compliance than all tractor safety items