Improving Georgia’s ” Yield Behind the Wheel” Campaign

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Thursday at the Georgia State Fair, state agencies came together to raise awareness about farm equipment safety on Georgia roads. In 2011, crashes involving farm equipment on Georgia roads increased by 33 percent. Gary Black, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and Harris Blackwood, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, kicked off the Second Annual Improving Georgia’s “Yield Behind the Wheel” Campaign.

There were 401 reported accidents involving farm equipment last year; 5 accidents resulted in fatalities.

“It’s 5 too many. It’s 1,234 too many, and today we are going to declare war on traffic fatalities particularly those that involve farm equipment,” said Harris Blackwood, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Georgia law requires operators of slow-moving vehicles to place a reflector on any machine that travels the road slower than 25 MPH.