New research suggests there would be a dramatic reduction in crashes involving farm vehicles if states adopted policies requiring more lights and reflectors on the equipment. A study by the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health looked at regulations in nine Midwestern states — including Minnesota. Corrine Peek-Asa, one of the study’s authors, says responsibility for these accidents should not fall entirely farmers:

In Minnesota, the study estimates crashes would decrease by nearly 40 percent — or from an annual average of 114 to 45 — if the state adopted more stringent lighting and marking policies.