The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

MACON, MO. -- Do you know the regulations regarding farm machinery on public roadways? That was the topic we looked into for Monday’s Facebook Story of the Day.

In the state of Missouri, a piece of agricultural machinery is entitled to be on the roadway at anytime.

“Farmers have to transport these big pieces of machinery to get their jobs done, and it takes both the people in the agricultural business as well as us motorists to make sure that we’re safe,” said Sgt. Brent Bernhardt with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

When farmers are transporting their slow moving machinery, they are required to have slow moving reflector emblems on the rear of the machinery.

Not only that, if they are driving at night, they are required to have proper lighting just like other vehicles on the roadways would. They also have to follow all other traffic laws when out on the road.

According to Sgt. Bernhardt, sharing the road and having patience will help ensure the safety of everyone.

“These big pieces of machinery sometimes take up a big portion of the highway, so we encourage the farmers to drive as far to the right as possible, but we also encourage motorists to be patient and recognize that they're trying to do their business,” said Sgt. Bernhardt. “We have to be safe and we can do that by only passing during times that we know is safe to do so, never on a hill, a crest or curve.”

When it comes to accidents involving a tractor, Sgt. Bernhardt says they investigate all traffic crash independently.

“We have to look at the totality of the circumstances of what’s actually transpired,” Sgt. Bernhardt said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol also encourages farmers that are transporting a big piece of machinery, where vision is obscured, that they have escorts that warn people that a large piece of machinery is ahead of them.