A tragic accident that killed three Manitoba teenagers more than two years ago has sparked new provincial legislation there governing lights and markings on agricultural field equipment.
The three teens were killed when their pick-up truck collided head-on in the dark with a combine header. The combine had lights but the header did not.
Lorne Gibson, director of corporate services for Manitoba Highways and Transportation, said the law will be proclaimed as soon as the regulations are in place.
He is hoping that will be July 1, “but that’s not carved in stone.”
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The legislation will require machinery to meet certain standards, depending on the date it was manufactured. New equipment is defined as that manufactured after Jan. 1, 1998.
Bruce Allen, Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute station manager at Portage la Prairie, Man., said the draft regulations will require both new and existing equipment to be marked. For day and night transport, all equipment will need slow moving vehicle signs and reflectors. Flags are required during the day.
Lights on day or night
Lighting requirements vary depending on the equipment.
Allen told the Canada West Equipment Dealers Association annual meeting in Regina that new equipment will require lights any time it is on the road.
Existing equipment will need lights only at night, including headlights on self-propelled equipment, tail lights on all equipment and extremity lighting (flashing amber lights) on all equipment.
New equipment will have amber lights that flash in unison, while existing equipment will have non-unison flashing lights. Allen said the unison lighting requires hard wiring and a seven-pin connector. Operators will be able to use portable lighting, which many already have, for the non-unison flashers.
“It comes down to what’s practical and the cost.”
He said dealers will have to have lighting packages available so their clients can retrofit equipment.
“Farmstead equipment or equipment that is normally not transported a lot will be treated the same as existing equipment for marking,” Allen said.
This includes livestock feeding systems, watering and waste handling systems, dryers, milling systems, irrigation equipment and augers.
Allen also noted that the standard of marking material is going up.
“Reflective materials that meet today’s standards likely won’t comply in two years,” he said. “The industry has basically taken the position that in the future we’re going to go to the superior grades of materials.”
Both Allen and Gibson said other provinces are watching the development of this legislation. Allen said previous industry standards weren’t recognized in legislation.
“The existing Highway Traffic Act was not adequate,” he said, “and that’s generally the case throughout all jurisdictions. If all jurisdictions did this then there is commonality and manufacturers have a better time complying.”
Allen said operators who fail to comply with the new rules could be fined.
