What You Need to Know For Tractor Season on New York Roads
The other day when I was driving into work I passed a man riding a tractor on the road. Right now you may be saying who cares that is an everyday occurrence on Hudson Valley Roads.
Ok, I will agree you will find a lot of tractors on the road this time of year, but this one was on a road with no farm in sight. It looked to me like the guy was legitimately in need of a ride somewhere, and instead of an UBER, he pulled out the family tractor.
Man Driving Tractor on Route 44/55 in the City of Poughkeepsie
So what exactly did I see? It was pretty simple I saw a man driving up the arterial in the City of Poughkeepsie on a John Deer Tractor. At first, I thought it was a road worker sent to mow the grass but as I got closer that was not the case.
SEE Also: What You Need To Know About Passing a Tractor on the Road
The gentleman I saw was driving a tractor up Route 44/55 in the City of Poughkeepsie. The Tractor had no attachments so it was not being used for work. It also wasn't the typical style of tractor you would see being used by a highway department. It looked like an old-style tractor.
Man Drove a Tractor in the City of Poughkeepsie
Like me, other motorists were driving around him because he was going pretty slow and all of us were at a green light so we had no time to kill wondering what he was doing. The tractor had no license plate and no flashing lights. It was also missing any kind of slow-moving placard that a tractor usually has displayed.
SEE Also: Can You Pass a Tractor on the Road
I also couldn't tell if he had come off the Mid Hudson Bridge or come up from Route 9. If he had come over the bridge how would he have gotten through the toll? I wish I had been able to take a picture. If you saw what I saw you would agree he was just out for a ride.
It is Legal To Drive A Tractor on the Road in New York State
So can you do that? Can you take a tractor and ride it around town like you would if it was a car? The answer is Yes and No. According to everything I read through my Google search it is legal to drive a tractor on a road but there are requirements.
New York State law requires that all farm equipment display a slow-moving vehicle emblem, a triangular fluorescent orange sign with a red reflective border (via amazonaws.com)
I also found a post on Quora.com from February of this year that states tractors are allowed on public roads to move from one location to another for work. But they can not be licensed and used for transportation.
For New York drivers who are sharing the road with tractors this Spring and Summer please be patient. Never pass a tractor in a no-passing zone. That is illegal.