Grape Harvester with SMV (Slow Moving Vehicle) sign on back

September is Farm Safety Awareness Month as well as the beginning of grape harvest in the area.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is reminding area residents that the next two months will come with an increase of tractors, semi-trucks, and harvesters on the roads as farmers harvest their crops and deliver them to market. Residents should expect delays, slow moving tractors, and more activity on local roads.

All farm machinery that travels less than 40 miles per hour must have a Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem displayed on the back. The emblem is a bright orange triangle and signifies a vehicle that is not required to move over or ride on the side of the road.

Motorists must slow down immediately and increase their following distance. Drivers should be alert for sudden turns into fields, pass with care when it is safe and legal to do so and be aware that equipment in tow may sway on the road.