News Detail

ASABE Publishes Revised Standards for Highway Marking of Tractors

Monday, October 28, 2019
ASABE Publishes Revised Standards for Highway Marking of Tractors

ASABE announces the completion of two major standards projects for agricultural equipment highway safety.

The first is a revision of ASABE's lighting and marking standard for agricultural equipment. ANSI/ASAE S279.18 OCT2019, Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Equipment on Highways, requires the use of the slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblem on all interchangeable towed machinery and trailers. Previously the SMV was required only on implements that obscured the SMV on the tractor/towing machine or that were longer than 5 m (16.4 ft). ANSI/ASAE S279.18 also includes updated normative references and an illustrated guide to be used in applying the standard. Development of the guide was coordinated by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The guide is provided as an informative annex and depicts proper lighting and marking of agricultural tractors, combines, sprayers, other types of self-propelled equipment, and rear-mounted three-point hitch implements, towed implements, and trailers.

The guide was developed in response to the June 2016 approval of Federal Register 49 CFR 562, Lighting and Marking on Agricultural Equipment. Information on this federal requirement, links to the illustrated guide, and an informative lighting and marking webinar created for users of the guide can all be found at https://www.aem.org/news/aem-resources-explain-ag-lighting-and-marking-requirements-for-federal-law/.

The second major lighting and marking project involves the adoption of an international standard and the withdrawal of the ASABE standard on which it is based. The adoption of ASABE/ISO 20383:2017, Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry -- Speed Identification Sign (SIS), replaces ANSI/ASAE S584.3, Agricultural Equipment: Speed Identification Symbol (SIS).

This adoption further harmonizes national and international standardization, a goal that facilitates manufacturing, safety advancements, and product marketing worldwide. To date ASABE has adopted 61 ISO standards. The majority of these adoptions are within the area of the agricultural machinery section.

ASABE members with standards access and those with site-license privileges can access the full-text via electronic download on the ASABE online Technical Library at elibrary.asabe.org/. Others can obtain a copy for a fee directly from the library or by contacting ASABE headquarters at OrderStandard@asabe.org.

ASABE is recognized worldwide as a standards developing organization for food, agricultural, and biological systems, with more than 275 standards currently in publication. Conformance to ASABE standards is voluntary, except where required by state, provincial, or other governmental requirements, and the documents are developed by consensus in accordance with procedures approved by the American National Standards Institute. For information on this or any other ASABE standard, contact Scott Cedarquist at 269-932-7031, cedarq@asabe.org. A current listing of all ASABE standards projects can be found on the ASABE web site at www.asabe.org/projects.

ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. Further information on the Society can be obtained by contacting ASABE at (269) 429-0300, emailing hq@asabe.org or visiting www.asabe.org/.