Leave a larger safety margin than usual
Oct 20, 2026Safety on the road / Mobility Stories / NewsThrough late fall, drivers should expect to encounter many heavy, slow-moving, and sometimes oversized harvest vehicles on rural roads. “When these join traffic with fast-moving passenger cars, trucks or motorcycles, there is a very real risk of danger”, warns DEKRA accident researcher Andreas Schäuble. Crashes involving combine harvesters, tractors or other agricultural machinery can easily cause serious or even fatal injuries, even at speeds of no more than 60 or 70 km/h. What to look out for:
Take extra care on curvy or undulating roads. Other typically hazardous locations are junctions and crossroads. When unexpectedly facing an oncoming tractor with laden trailer or a combine harvester joining the road ahead, there is often little time to react and brake. Reduce your traveling speed accordingly, keep your attention on the road and stay alert.
Take extra care in twilight conditions or during the hours of darkness. When the weather is hot in the harvest season, agricultural vehicles often operate late into the night. They can be hard to see, especially if cargo or dirt is covering their lights. The danger is real. Andreas Schäuble reminds operators to ensure that all light fixtures are easily visible.
Overtaking remains a cause of the most serious accidents. For example, when an agricultural vehicle turns left onto a field track while being overtaken. On narrow roads, never overtake unless you are absolutely sure the conditions are safe. This also applies where narrow roads won’t leave you with much safety distance to either side. When it is safe to overtake, announce your intention by briefly sounding your horn.
Harvest season inevitably brings dirtier road surfaces. This can increase braking distance and the risk of skidding. Rain or dew can turn dirty roads very slippery. The experts’ advice: “Leave a larger safety margin than usual, be prepared for unexpected situations, be ready to brake, and remain focused.” Crash tests show: Crashing into agricultural machinery carries a risk of death for people in cars that even seat belts and airbags cannot always prevent.