* Growing up in rural Iroquois County, I knew people who were killed or maimed while driving through rural intersections without stopping during late summer…
Police officials have issued a warning to drivers regarding an increase in crashes, primarily attributed to reduced visibility at rural intersections. This reduction in visibility is a direct result of the ongoing growth of corn, a significant crop in Illinois. Law enforcement is advising motorists to slow down and come to a complete stop at these intersections to ensure safety and prevent accidents.
The warning comes as corn growth continues.
Authorities aim to ensure that drivers can safely navigate these areas, emphasizing that preventive measures are crucial to mitigating potential hazards.
Chief Tyler Heleine of the Coles County Sheriff’s Office said, ”We highly suggest that you do that. It will prevent an accident. And that’s our main goal. This was prompted because we’ve had some serious accidents and, I believe, they can be prevented if we slow down, and so just share it. Talk to your family member, talk to the young drivers about it.”
Responsible farmers will not plant or will mow down corn near intersections, which rarely have stop signs. But not every farmer is responsible. They plant as close to the roads as possible.
At night back then, we would turn off our headlights for a second, turn them on and (just to be sure) turn them back off again as we approached unregulated blind intersections at night. But not everyone was lucky.
So, to my many rural friends, be careful out there. Just stop and make sure you live.
- Downstate - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 10:52 am:
Rich,
I live in a rural area, I’m not aware of any intersections that don’t have a stop sign for at least one of the two roads. Incredible.
- Perrid - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 10:54 am:
There are at least a couple intersections where you just have to cross your fingers and pray come August-September that I can think of. Like the road bends and so you can see maybe 50 feet before the corn cuts off visibility.
I’ve stopped, looked, waited, then just gunned it I don’t know how many times
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 10:59 am:
I want to echo this. Lost a family friend that failed to yield at a rural intersection and neither party could see the on coming traffic. Broad day light.
=== But not every farmer is responsible===
Fewer production farmers, bigger farms with thousands of acres and no relationships with neighbors, and significant economic pressures.
- Loyal Virus - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 11:31 am:
TY- I had truly never considered this, despite having lived near farms. I’m too accustomed to the folks often not even slowing at all to go through the 4-way stop on my corner. No corn as high as an elephant’s eye to adjust to- just stupid drivers.
- former southerner - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 11:38 am:
I live 5 miles from a village of 1,200 and there are two intersections I avoid when there is corn up because the farmers plant right to the edge making the intersection quite dangerous. And this has been going on for decades at these two points.
One of the many reasons I will celebrate when ethanol goes to its long overdue grave.
- Irreverent - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 11:45 am:
There are multiple ways to teach farmers to plant responsibly. We’re just not allowed to talk about any
- We’ll See - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 11:46 am:
Sadly even is intersections have stop signs it’s only a suggestion for far too many drivers. When the corn is up we stop at every intersection.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 11:55 am:
- not aware of any intersections that don’t have a stop sign for at least one of the two roads. -
In the gravel roads around where I grew up the only stop signs are where they intersect a paved road. Another hazard this time of year is the dust, keep your distance from any cars ahead of you and stop at every intersection.
- Out Here In The Middle - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 12:06 pm:
A commonsense viewpoint. I’ve been driving on rural Illinois back roads for 60+ years. As the season change I go from ignoring stop signs - because I can see a mile in each direction with the crops down - to full stop and creeping out until I can see it’s clear. Why stop when you can see? Why roll through when you can’t see? It’s probably also shocking to some that I don’t use a turn signal when there is no one around. Who would I bee signaling?
- clec dcn - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 12:08 pm:
I ride my bike out on the rural chip-seal roads and they are most dangerous right now. In the winter and when no corn yes, we cyclist blow right through the intersection. Right now it is a death trap if you do not completely slow down and wait till the coast is clear. Also, never ride with earbuds and your ears not completely open. Your hearing can save your life from all directions.
- Occasionally Moderated - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 12:09 pm:
Rural driving has its own challenges for sure.
Thanks for the reminder Rich, couldn’t agree more.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 12:32 pm:
A friend who lived outside Danville took me on one of the scariest rides of my life on various roads in Vermilion County. Never slowed down at an intersection. Occasionally would ask me if I saw anything coming from the passenger side.
We were young and stupid but I never road with him after that
- Give us Barabbas - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 12:45 pm:
And gravel increases your stopping distance and reduces your ability to steer around a hazard at speed. We’ve been warning people about cornfield intersections since the 90’s at least with public awareness campaigns but people forget or just ignore the hazard. They should talk about it in drivers ed classes in rural communities.
- H-W - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 12:53 pm:
I know this well. I had a serious accident on my own road, at the corner stop sign. Even when crops are short (e.g., soybeans), it is important to come to a full stop and check. Cars and truck tend to drive 55 or faster on these backroads. Getting t-boned at that speed can be deadly.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 1:50 pm:
I’ve been in the passenger seat of drivers on gravel rural roads plowing through those intersections while saying “Oh, no one is ever around here.” It’s on the drivers too.
It’s also hard to keep windows open to listen for incoming, fast drivers when the gravel is throwing dust everywhere.
- here we go again - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 2:38 pm:
We should be talking about the real villain, i.e., corn sweat.
- Joe Schmoe - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 3:35 pm:
Last week was the FHWA’s national Rural Road Safety Awareness Week. This was an issue on top of the list!
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 3:43 pm:
I had a friend in his early 20s who was t-boned and killed at an intersection when the corn was up in late summer, in southern Will County. It was an unmarked crossroads, no stop signs on any leg of the intersection, so the other driver wasn’t completely at fault. At least the townships and counties have cleaned a lot of them up by at least posting a 2-way stop if not a 4-way. But this time of the year it’s best to be vigilant and expect the unexpected while approaching each rural intersection, as well as making sure you actually stop at a rural stop sign, no matter the temptation on a lonely road.
- Louis G Atsaves - Friday, Jul 24, 26 @ 4:24 pm:
As a city and later suburbanite, I did not know this. Thanks for posting this article.