With Maryland’s planting season just around the corner, our rural roads are about to get busier. Starting in mid-April and stretching through the harvest months, you will likely see tractors and combines sharing the lane with everyday traffic.

As these slow-moving vehicles head out to the fields, the Maryland Soybean Board is relaunching its Find Me Driving campaign to keep everyone safe. We encourage all drivers to slow down, stay alert and show a little extra patience when encountering local farmers on the move.

“When we are moving our equipment down the road, our focus is split between navigating roads, watching for mailboxes and hoping that drivers behind us are patient,” said Tyler Rill, a Maryland soybean farmer in Carroll County. “Road safety isn’t just about following laws; it is about ensuring that we can navigate between fields to get our crops in the ground to feed our communities and return home safely at the end of the day.”

Farm equipment is built for the fields, but it relies on public roads to move between properties. These large machines typically travel at speeds of 25 mph or less. The Find Me Driving campaign reminds us that safety on rural roads is a shared responsibility, requiring awareness from all drivers. When you encounter farm vehicles, give them plenty of room and pass only when it is safe to do so.

With more than 12,600 farms across the state, agriculture is a cornerstone of Maryland’s community. The busy planting season highlights this vital industry. “Year after year, our mission remains the same: we want everyone on Maryland roads to be safe,” said Danielle Bauer, executive director of the Maryland Soybean Board. “The Find Me Driving campaign is our ongoing commitment to bridging the gap between farmers and motorists. By staying alert during planting season, drivers play a direct role in keeping our agricultural community safe.”

At the heart of the Find Me Driving campaign is its recognizable mascot, SAM®. This animated character looks just like the slow-moving vehicle emblems found on farm equipment. Beyond being a friendly face, the name SAM® serves as an acronym that offers vital safety tips for drivers. Following this guidance helps ensure that everyone stays safe on rural roads.

• Slow down. Look for the orange triangle-shaped sign indicating a slow-moving vehicle.
• Assess your surroundings. Keep a safe distance from farm vehicles and allow extra time to overtake them.
• Move with caution. Only pass when it is legally and safely permissible and never on a curve or hill.

For more information on farm equipment road safety during planting time, visit FindMeDriving.com or follow Find Me Driving on social platforms.