The Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) has issued a fall safety warning urging motorists to slow down and stay alert around tractors, combines and other slow-moving farm equipment on rural roads as harvest season gets under way.

The call for caution comes at the time of year when farm traffic on Alabama's highways and county roads peaks. Combines, grain trucks, cotton pickers and tractors pulling heavy loads move between fields throughout the day, often on narrow rural routes with limited visibility and few safe passing zones.

ALFA's message to drivers is straightforward: farm machinery travels at much lower speeds than regular traffic, and the difference can catch motorists off guard. A car travelling at highway speed can close on a tractor moving at 25 mph far faster than many drivers expect, leaving little time to react.

The organisation also asks farmers to do their part. Operators should display slow-moving vehicle emblems, use hazard lights when appropriate, and pull over where it is safe to let traffic pass.

For rural communities, the stakes are practical. Collisions between passenger vehicles and farm equipment tend to be serious because of the size and weight disparity, and even minor accidents during harvest can idle machinery, delay crops and add costs at the busiest point of the farming calendar.

ALFA encourages anyone travelling through farming areas this fall to build extra time into journeys, remain patient behind slow-moving equipment, and pass only when visibility and road conditions clearly allow it.