The Fall harvest is underway across much of Iowa, and that means large and numerous pieces of agricultural equipment will be moving back and forth between the farm, fields and grain elevators. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Ryan DeVault, out of Council Bluffs, says motorists need to be prepared to encounter the various slow moving vehicles and pay attention.

He says those vehicles typically don’t travel more than 25 miles per hour, and you can be on top of them faster than you think.

The size of farm equipment has increased dramatically over the years. DeVault says the operators of those machines are abiding by the law as best as they can, but you need to give them some room.

The Trooper says to “Expect the unexpected at this point during the harvest season,” especially when the farming equipment is about to make a turn into a field or a farm drive.

The bottom line, he says, is to stay focused and avoid distractions like cell phones. Another thing to be alert for during the harvest season, is deer running out of fields.

Trooper DeVault says flashing your lights or honking your horn in hopes the deer will run the other way, is not necessarily helpful in preventing a collision. He said also, farmers and others hauling grain need to be careful the grain isn’t spilled on the roadway. Motorcyclists need to be watchful too, as the loose corn and beans act like marbles, causing a loss of control, especially when motorcycles are turning.