Jun. 1—The family of a Lockeford man who was killed in a traffic collision with a tractor two weeks ago are asking local leaders to implement stricter road regulations for farming vehicles.

Tyler Fritz said his father Russell Fritz, 59, was driving to work near the area of East Comstock and Duncan roads in Linden at about 5 a.m. May 15 when he collided with a tractor.

“There wasn’t great visibility, because it was still dark,” Tyler Fritz said. “From what I know, the tractor was going in and out of the lanes. My dad clipped the tire on the trailer, and his vehicle rolled twice.”

Fritz said he, his girlfriend and his mother felt something should be done that would make tractors and other farming equipment more visible for other drivers, especially during the early morning hours.

“We realized there are not enough safety features on these tractors,” Tyler Fritz said. “And sometimes they take up two lanes of the road. These are issues nobody really talks about.”

According to an online petition he created on Change.org, Tyler Fritz would like to see mandatory reflective markings on tractors, better lighting, and possibly designated travel times during low-traffic periods.

He also suggested officials implement awareness campaigns to educate drivers about sharing the road safely with larger vehicles.

According to the National Ag Safety Database, California requires only one red taillight on farming equipment, but those lights must be visible to other vehicles from 498 feet.

In addition, slow moving vehicle emblems are required on the rear of farming vehicles to let other motorists know they travel at less than 25 miles an hour. The California Vehicle Code states the emblem is a truncated fluorescent orange equilateral with a minimum height of 14 inches and a red reflective border not less than 1.75 inches in width. Emblems are mounted on the rear of the vehicle at 3 to 5 feet from the ground, according to vehicle code.

However, farming vehicles are not required to have bright white lights that display the rear, according to the NASD.

According to media reports about the May 15 accident, a John Deere pulling a sprayer was heading west on Comstock Road at 25 miles an hour, when Russell Fritz’s 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, also traveling west, collided with the left rear of the tractor.

The California Highway Patrol said he was partially ejected from the truck when it overturned, according to reports.

“My dad was a family man,” Tyler Fritz said. “He was loved by many, worked for a local farmer in Linden. He has a lot of farming family members.”

To view the petition, visit www.change.org/ChangeForRuss.