Tall corn is limiting sight lines at rural intersections across Sioux County, prompting the sheriff’s office to urge drivers to slow down and prepare to stop.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says deputies have already responded to crashes at intersections where corn restricts motorists’ ability to see approaching vehicles. Sheriff Nate Huizenga says drivers should approach obstructed corners as though cross traffic could appear unexpectedly.
“The safest thing you can do is treat them as stop signs,” Huizenga said.
Dust May Not Provide a Warning
Huizenga says some drivers watch for dust clouds as an indication that another vehicle is approaching. However, he cautions that the method does not always provide an adequate warning.
“There’s days where it might rain or a car might be going slow enough that the wind is blowing the dust, you know, a direction you can’t see it,” Huizenga said.
He advises motorists to approach blind intersections slowly enough that they can stop if another vehicle enters the crossing. That may require traveling well below the posted limit.
The speed limit on Iowa gravel roads is 55 miles per hour during the day and 50 miles per hour at night. The sheriff’s office emphasizes that those are maximum limits and may not be safe speeds when visibility, weather or road conditions are poor.
Huizenga also confirmed that the newer 60-mile-per-hour limit affecting some paved roads does not apply to gravel roads.
Concern Extends Into School Season
Huizenga says tall corn is typically at its peak from July through September, meaning visibility concerns will continue for at least the next couple of months.
The seasonal concern will soon overlap with the beginning of the school year, bringing more school buses and young drivers onto rural roads. The sheriff’s office plans to release additional back-to-school driving reminders in the coming weeks.
Huizenga says traveling a little faster through a rural intersection provides little benefit compared with the potential consequences.
“Going through an intersection faster than what you should isn’t really going to save you that much time, but it could cost you a lot,” Huizenga said.
The sheriff’s office is asking drivers to slow down, make certain the road is clear, and be prepared to stop before entering intersections where corn blocks the view.
