WINNIPEG – The government is reminding people, now that warmer have temperatures arrived, to watch for oversized equipment travelling on Manitoba roads.

The province offers some safety reminders:

Farmers and agricultural equipment operators need to:

• ensure all machinery is equipped with proper lighting, signage and reflectors when travelling on roadways, as required by The Highway Traffic Act;
• ensure lights, signage and reflectors are visible and clean
• use a pilot vehicle when transporting oversized agricultural equipment;
• move equipment during the day on secondary roads whenever possible;
• ensure equipment fits under power lines and on bridge structures (check width and height); and
• map out routes before transporting equipment and get appropriate permits from Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Infrastructure when applicable.

Motorists should:

• slow down when approaching farm equipment as it is often travelling at reduced speeds and taking up a considerable amount of room on the road;
• pay attention to turn signals and possible lane changes;
• only pass when it is clearly safe to do so; and
• be patient.

For more information about moving farm equipment safely, including dimensions when permits are required, click here.