SMV signs and IL

jimg · Apr 3, 2008

Was looking thru the AgriSupply catalog the other night and the small print says they wont sell SMV signs to IL residents. Any one venture a guess why? I thought it was sort of odd.

tallyho8 · Apr 3, 2008

The state of Illinois now requires SMV emblems to meet the new ASAE S276.5 standard. Obviously, AgriSupply's signs do not meet this standard.

jimg · Apr 3, 2008

Just idle curiosity on my part...Im not in the market for such a thing nor do I live in IL.

BTW thanx for the explanation...would have never though of that. How diff can the 'new' SMV be vs the 'old'??

tallyho8 · Apr 3, 2008

Actually, the new standard is ASAE S276.5 and you can not use the old standard ASAE S276.4 or ASAE S276.3 signs in Illinois. The new standard is supposed to be 10 times brighter than the old ones enabling slow moving equipment to be better seen.

jimg · Apr 3, 2008

Next obvious question is how can the various stds be differentiated? I know none of my SMVs are marked in any way. I presume the LE folks can some how tell them apart...some sort of field test?

Rara Avis · Apr 3, 2008

jimg said:
Next obvious question is how can the various stds be differentiated? I know none of my SMVs are marked in any way. I presume the LE folks can some how tell them apart...some sort of field test?

Yes...you will know if you have the old ones...when the IL DOT pulls you over and gives you a ticket...

Actually, I bet there is a grandfather clause on all currently used SMV's otherwise the AG lobby would have "raised cain"...

tallyho8 · Apr 3, 2008

The ASAE S276.5 and ASAE S276.6 both are labeled at the bottom of the SMV sign. Old signs are not grandfathered in and must be replaced. The new signs are designed to be reflective twice as long and 10 times more than the old signs so they don't have to be replaced nearly as often. These signs are for YOUR safety so if you operate on roads I would recommend that you purchase the new signs even in states that do not require their use.

Rara Avis · Apr 4, 2008

tallyho8 said:
The ASAE S276.5 and ASAE S276.6 both are labeled at the bottom of the SMV sign. Old signs are not grandfathered in and must be replaced. The new signs are designed to be reflective twice as long and 10 times more than the old signs so they don't have to be replaced nearly as often. These signs are for YOUR safety so if you operate on roads I would recommend that you purchase the new signs even in states that do not require their use.

You are correct...

NASD: Roadway Safety: Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Equipment

jimg · Apr 4, 2008

How interesting...I knew I asked in the right place.

Around here I dont think theres any particular req'ment for the SMV sign other than to have at least one somewhere on the implement/tractor. All I have seem to be the new type but I havent looked to see if theyre labeled w/ a version #. I know theyre REALLY bright when hit w/ lights at night. The reflection really lights things up!

Soundguy · Apr 5, 2008

tallyho8 said:
The ASAE S276.5 and ASAE S276.6 both are labeled at the bottom of the SMV sign. Old signs are not grandfathered in and must be replaced. The new signs are designed to be reflective twice as long and 10 times more than the old signs so they don't have to be replaced nearly as often. These signs are for YOUR safety so if you operate on roads I would recommend that you purchase the new signs even in states that do not require their use.

Ironically.. every instance I've seen locally that involved a tractor wreck also involved a hill or curve. A sign 100 thousand times more visible wouldn't have helped.. unless you could see it aroud a corner.

It's a nice gesture that they are changing all the rules for our safety.. however.. methinks this was a good gesture that snowballed into a deal that will cost the farmers money, make money for the sign sellers.. and in the end.. have a less than tangible effect of road safety due to the 'OTHER" drivers.. not the farm drivers.. etc. just my opinion... I see this kind of legislation all the time.. especially for guns.. etc..

soundguy

PAB_OH · Apr 5, 2008

Soundguy said:
Ironically.. every instance I've seen locally that involved a tractor wreck also involved a hill or curve. A sign 100 thousand times more visible wouldn't have helped.. unless you could see it aroud a corner.

It's a nice gesture that they are changing all the rules for our safety.. however.. methinks this was a good gesture that snowballed into a deal that will cost the farmers money, make money for the sign sellers.. and in the end.. have a less than tangible effect of road safety due to the 'OTHER" drivers.. not the farm drivers.. etc. just my opinion... I see this kind of legislation all the time.. especially for guns.. etc..

soundguy

'Tis what what happens when we elect folks to go do a job for us and then don't hold them accountable. It's easier to pass laws dealing with stuff like this than trying to figure out how to spend our money responsibly. Sorry, this kind of stuff p!$$es me off! Won't be long and we'll all be paying for airbag retrofit kits, licensing tractors, etc...

I'm sure tractors as a "profit center" hasn't been seriously visited by most states...yet. With the explosion in SCUT/CUT ownership and decline in tax revenues it's only a matter of time. I mean, hey, someone has to save us from our stupid selves, right? No offense to folks across the pond, but I wonder how much longer until we implement ALL their rules?

Soundguy · Apr 6, 2008

I agree.. consumer product safety laws are making it so things like hot coffe have to remind you in bold wording and other pictures that your coffee is in fact HOT.

Just about anything passed by a committie.. is gonna be bad news...

Also reminiscient of the passed along story issue. By the time the story makes it to tha last ear.. it is completely wrong.

soundguy

xlr82v2 · Apr 6, 2008

I just can't help but think...

If the LE folks can see that old sign good enough to tell that it isn't one of the new ones, didn't it do it's job anyway?

tallyho8 · Apr 6, 2008

Still, if I'm dumb enough to be riding my tractor down a foggy road late at night, I would rather if the upcoming car driver could see my SMV sign when he was 100 yards away from me than just 10 yards.

xlr82v2 · Apr 6, 2008

If you were on your tractor on a foggy road late at night with no lights and only a SMV emblem... you're giving Mr. Darwin quite the opportunity to do his duty... which as far as the gene pool is concerned may not be a bad thing if you really were stupid enough to do something like that!!

So... as far as I'm concerned... ya' gotta come up with a better one than that...

Soundguy · Apr 6, 2008

I agree.. no lamps and foggy conditions would make me get a trailer!

soundguy

Skyco · Apr 7, 2008

Whatever happened to responsibilities of the car driver? Seems to me if one is driving at a speed where he cannot stop in the distance he can see then he is at fault. What if the obstacle in the fog is a fallen tree? Is it the trees fault? I constantly hear where an "accident" was caused by the rain or the fog...huh? NO it was caused by people failing to drive an appropriate speed when confronted with reduced visibility.
Now all that said- I try to make myself as visible as possible to allow for the doofus factor of other drivers

Years of surviving motorcycling, so far, have convinced me of that

But even then- witness all the video of police cars with full lights flashing getting hit while stopped

Soundguy · Apr 7, 2008

I agree 100% ...No one is ( ok. 'few are' ) willing to take personal responsibility anymore... thats where half of the BS laws ( mostly consumer protection ) come from that we see nowadays..

soundguy

TwinWillows · Apr 7, 2008

@ my local dealer the old SMV sign = $5, the new sign = $12.

Call me a cynic but if other drivers can't see the +6ft wide tractor w/blinking yellow lights that's about 8ft tall which the SMV sign is attached to I don't see how a slightly more reflective SMV sign is going to help.