BRANDON, Man. – Dennis Persoage has had some harrowing trips in his farm machinery.
He farms near Teulon, in Manitoba’s Interlake region. City dwellers and tourists flock to cottages and beaches there all summer.
It often seems as though drivers don’t realize he’s driving a slow-moving vehicle, said Persoage.
“Some of these guys, I just shake my head and wonder where they got their drivers’ licence,” he told other farmers at a meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers.
Manitoba farmers face new safety regulations for lighting and marking their machinery. They’ve been in place for several months, but the RCMP started to enforce them July 1.
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But KAP thinks the provincial government should teach other motorists what the flags, lights and reflective tape mean.
The farm group has lobbied the government on the issue for the past couple of years, and it will continue to press for a program.
A public education program could remind farmers to make the changes, tell other drivers to slow down around machinery and carefully pass it, and even remind RCMP officers about the new rules.
As of July 1, Manitoba farmers face $147 fines if they haven’t upgraded the way they mark their vehicles for safety.
Persoage noted the safety material has gone up in price by as much as 30 percent since the new regulations were put into place.
