It's hard to imagine Lancaster County farmers being able to farm if they weren't allowed to drive machinery on or across roads.
But several local accidents and proposed new federal restrictions have turned the common practice into an issue.
Coming to a head are two separate initiatives that could dramatically change the way farmers are able to operate their farms.
Pennsylvania laws restrict nighttime driving and the width of farm machinery that may be on any public road, however briefly.
"Today, just about every farmer has to operate illegally at some point," said Jeff Stoltzfus, adult farmer adviser of the Eastern Lancaster County School District.
"State police haven't pushed the issue."
But in the face of several crashes, several municipalities have started having their police enforce the restrictions.
In November 2008, a motorist was killed when he drove under a wide combine in East Earl Township. In another accident, a motorist was injured when he struck an unlit wagon being pulled at night by a pickup.
About a year ago, Stoltzfus began meeting with farmers on changing existing laws to make them safer while taking into account changing farming methods, such as wider farm machinery and the trend toward more harvesting and planting at night.
The group came up with recommendations. State Sen. Michael Brubaker of Warwick Township, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, was then approached about introducing legislation.
Since then, Brubaker has facilitated meetings with concerned farmers, PennDOT, state police and township supervisors.
Brubaker has drafted a bill and is poised to introduce it, according to Kristen Crawford, executive director of the Brubaker's committee.
"We're trying to facilitate the safe movement of agricultural equipment on roads in Pennsylvania," Crawford said.
"The size of equipment that farmers use today has grown because of economies of scale," she said. "It has to be safe, but it has to be practical, not just for farmers but also those enforcing the laws. Many police don't know what the rules are."
On a separate front, the U.S. Department of Transportation is pushing Pennsylvania to adopt regulations that would force farmers to maintain records and vehicle maintenance similar to commercial truck drivers.
"The proposed regulations will be a severe blow to family farms and drastically change the nature of agriculture in Pennsylvania," Carl T. Shaffer, president of the state's largest farm organization, said. "They will be unworkable, costly and place unnecessary burdens on Pennsylvania farms."
Without intervention, the regulations may go into effect soon after March 1. They would:
• Prohibit anyone under 18 years old from driving on public roads if driving a tractor or truck pulling a farm implement or trailer weighing more than 17,000 pounds.
• Require drivers to be medically tested and to have certificates that they are physically qualified.
• Require drivers to keep track of driving time, take rest breaks and maintain records similar to those required of commercial drivers.
• Require pre-trip inspections of equipment.
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau said it has sought, and failed, to get Congress to adopt "reasonable exemptions" for farmers nationwide.
Contacted about the proposal Thursday, U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, whose district includes Lancaster County, issued this statement: "I'm very concerned about rather severe restrictions that the Department of Transportation is looking to put on farmers. I'm going to be working with my colleagues in the next couple of weeks to see what would be the best way to get relief for our local farmers."
The issue dates to 2007 when an audit of Pennsylvania's highway safety regulations by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration found state laws to be less stringent than federal ones.
The Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission has been reviewing the proposed regulations for final adoption.