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Farmer driving a pickup truck was struck when a pickup ran a stop sign.

Michigan State University

Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 18MI243, 2020 Jun; :1-9

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/mi/18MI243.html

20060815

In summer 2018, a male farmer in his 70s was driving a farm-owned pickup truck (Pickup #2) southbound on a dry, blacktop chip-sealed asphalt two-lane road with a speed limit of 55 mph when his vehicle was hit in an intersection by a westbound pickup truck (Pickup #1). The east-west road was a similarly constructed two-lane, 55 mph roadway. The north-south road had the right of way. Stop signs were positioned at the intersection on east-west roadway; the stop signs had affixed signage indicating crossroad traffic does not stop. The east-west road also had advance warning stop signs with the name of the north-south road affixed below. The westbound pickup truck (Pickup #1) entered the intersection without stopping and struck the decedent's pickup truck (Pickup #2) on the driver's side. Both vehicles came to rest in a nearby farm field. The decedent was wearing his seat belt/shoulder harness. It was unclear to emergency responders if Pickup #1's driver was wearing his seat belt/shoulder harness. Emergency response was summoned by passing motorists. The decedent was declared dead at the scene. Contributing Factors - Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of one or more contributing factors or key events in a larger sequence of events that ultimately result in the injury or fatality. The following hazards were identified as key contributing factors in this incident: 1. Driver not following traffic rules striking decedent's pickup truck. 2. Driver ability to see oncoming traffic at intersection obscured by corn. Recommendations - 1. Vehicle drivers need to comply with traffic rules and warnings. 2, State and local road authorities should periodically evaluate rural roadway traffic data to determine if existing road signage is appropriate. 3. Farmers and rural county road commissions should discuss methods to allow for sight lines for oncoming traffic at roadway intersections. 4. Employers should establish a Safe Driving program which includes communicating distracted driving principles/restrictions and reviewing defensive driving practices with all vehicle drivers.

Region 5; Accident analysis; Accident potential; Accident prevention; Accidents; Injuries; Injury prevention; Fatalities; Traumatic injuries; Agriculture; Farmers; Drivers; Motor vehicles; Machine operation; Safety education; Safety measures; Environmental hazards; Training; Recommendations; Machine operators; Visual fields; Compliance; Law enforcement; Automobile safety; Warning signs; Visual aids; Safety programs; Policy; Safety monitoring; Safety practices