Klobuchar, Thune Introduce Legislation to Increase Safety of Agricultural Machinery on Public Roads

Press Release

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD) today introduced legislation that will improve safety on public roads across the country. The Agricultural Machinery Illumination Safety Act would implement a national standard for lighting and marking devices for new agricultural machinery. The bill is supported by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers as well as other manufacturing and highway safety groups.

"In Minnesota, tractors and combines need to be able to use our roads so that farmers can do their jobs," Klobuchar said. "We need clear safety measures in place to keep both farmers and families safe when they share the road."

"South Dakotans are accustomed to having tractors, trailers, and other farm equipment on the state's roads," said Thune. "Our bipartisan legislation will help provide certainty for farm equipment operators and manufacturers, and will ultimately help make our public roads safer."

There are currently 50 different state standards, many outdated, regulating the lighting and marking of agricultural equipment. In addition to creating confusion among law enforcement officers, manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers, the lack of a uniform standard reduces safety on the road.

The legislation makes the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' lighting and marking standard the minimum national standard for new farm machinery across the country. The bill would not require the retrofitting of existing machinery, and it would grant the Secretary of Transportation the authority to improve these minimum standards as technology improves.

"Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) applauds Senators Klobuchar and Thune for their leadership in taking a proactive step to make our farms and rural communities safer. The Agricultural Machinery Illumination Safety Act will help eliminate confusion on rural roads and ensure the most advanced technologies and techniques are deployed on new equipment to make them more recognizable when traveling from field to field," AEM President Dennis Slater said.

In addition to AEM, this legislation is supported by the Association of Equipment Dealers, the American Traffic Safety Services Association, the American Highway Users Alliance, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the North American Equipment Dealers Association.

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