Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, OH 43210

Look for the Sign

AEX-994.1

Dee Jepsen
Extension Associate
Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Farmers use tractors everyday. They help farmers feed their animals and work in their fields. Tractors do not go fast. Farmers put slow moving vehicle signs on their tractors to warn you that they are going slow.

A slow moving vehicle sign is shaped like a triangle. The center is bright orange. This color shines the brightest in the day. The edges of the triangle are red. This color reflects light so you can see it at night.

Farmers put slow moving vehicle signs on the back of their tractors, wagons, and combines. Carriages pulled by horses have slow moving vehicle signs too.

Slow moving vehicle signs are required by law on all machinery designed to travel at speeds of 25 m.p.h. or less. Such equipment includes farm machinery, animal drawn vehicles, and road construction implements. Responsible motorists recognize slow moving vehicles and respond to them with caution by slowing down, giving the equipment plenty of room, and passing only when legal and safe. Parents can use slow moving vehicle emblems as signs of caution for children to recognize. Teach your children not to play on or around agricultural equipment. Young kids can learn to associate slow moving vehicle emblems with dangerous equipment.

Sources: Bean, T. Its Use — Its Value The Slow Moving Vehicle Symbol. L-165. Agricultural Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Reviewed by: Dr. Thomas L. Bean, State Safety Leader; Richard Stowell, Extension, Agricultural Engineer; Dustin Sonnenberg, 4-H, Youth Development Agent; Kelsey Culp, age 5.
Acknowledgement: The author wishes to thank Kristi Kress for her contributions to this publication. Kristi is an Agricultural Communications major at The Ohio State University.

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