The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) has responded to overwhelming interest from jurisdictions outside Manitoba with an internet web site based on the "BE SEEN, BE SAFE!" guidebook.

The guidebook reflects the new Lighting and Marking Regulations for road transport of farm equipment, which came into effect in Manitoba on July 1, 1998. The regulation and safety benefits were profiled at the National Institute for Farm Safety (NIFS) conference in Winnipeg in June that same year. Interest in the new law and how it can make travel safer for both farmers and motorists has since taken off, particularly with American NIFS conference delegates. Law enforcement representatives in Illinois are looking closely at Manitoba's regulation and the "BE SEEN, BE SAFE!" guidebook, to see how they can adapt the rules for use in their state.

Enhancing visibility of farm machinery on roads is voluntary in most states and provinces, and the guidelines can be fuzzy. The Manitoba regulation and the "BE SEEN, BE SAFE!" guidebook are based on a manufacturing standard for farm equipment, and brings together for the first time in Canada, uniform lighting and marking methods for enhancing visibility of farm machinery.

For instance, the farm equipment standard calls for red reflectors on the back of equipment, and amber reflectors on the front and sides. Similar standards exist for lighting. These rules are different from the rules used in the automotive and trucking industry. Some equipment operators have begun to confuse the different sets of rules, creating identification confusion for motorists confronted with farm machinery on the road, especially at night.

"The objectives are straight-forward", comments Dan Dyck, communications coordinator for PAMI. "It doesn't matter where you farm - we want to help equipment operators enhance safety for themselves and motorists, and we want to help farmers protect the investment they have in expensive farm machinery." The website is available from the PAMI homepage (www.pami.ca), and is complete with detailed illustrations showing you how to properly light and mark farm equipment.