PFB Rural Road Safety Safety Program

Pennsylvania has more rural roads than any other state in the country. Especially during springtime, more farmers are driving large equipment on rural roads which, in turn, increases farm machinery accidents.  Therefore, the Rural Roads Safety program was created in 2000 by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Rural Roads Safety Week, a joint campaign between the PA Farm Bureau, PA Department of Agriculture and PA Department of Transportation (PennDot), is designed to educate the general public and farmers about safety concerns on rural roads, particularly in relation to slow moving vehicles.  Additionally, it alerts motorists across Pennsylvania to drive cautiously on rural roads and to slow down when approaching large farm equipment on back roads.  The goal of the campaign is to reduce the number of accidents on rural roads and to save lives.

Brochure                         Tips for Drivers               Tips for Farmers

Rural Roads Safety Week, a joint campaign between the PA Farm Bureau, PA Department of Agriculture and PennDot, is designed to alert motorists across Pennsylvania to drive cautiously on rural roads and to slow down when approaching large farm equipment on back roads.  The goal of the campaign is to reduce the number of accidents on rural roads and to save lives.

Hosting a County Farm Bureau Rural Roads Safety Event

County Farm Bureaus hold local events of interest and invite the news media to cover these events.

This can be a project for the county board, an advisory council, or the women’s committee.

Here are a few ideas how your county can support this grassroots program and foster safety on local rural roadways:

• Hold a kickoff event. Invite the public, local FFA and/or 4-H groups, and state legislators. Work in partnership with a PennDOT district office or Pennsylvania State Police.
• Send county farm bureau representatives to local schools to talk to vo-ag classes or driver’s education classes about sharing the road with farm equipment.
• Send a letter to the editor of your local paper explaining why motorists should exercise caution on rural roads.
• Record public service announcements for local radio stations.
• Sponsor a county Rural Roads Safety Week poster or essay contest.
• Deliver safety pamphlets to a local driver licensing center.
• Team up with a neighboring farm bureau on any of these activities, or create your own!