Should Amish buggies continue to wear orange and red warning placards?

Whoever is riding or driving unsafely on public thoroughfares is at fault. That may include the Amish, if they’re driving much slower than conditions would warrant and failing to display any sign of their presence, and it may also include certainly does include drivers who “overdrive their lights”, that is, who drive in such a way that they can’t see, react and stop in time when a road hazard appears.

Who would those drivers complain to if it was a rock (or a cow, or a deer, or an injured person) in the road, and not a buggy?

People can and should be allowed to do as they will in their own homes and on their own time and property. When they share the roads with others, then they have to make allowance for others – as others have always done for them.

Cwotus, well said and so true. jp

Buggies and cars don’t mix. They need to be in place as a safety requirement.

Wife and I travel to and through Kentucky all the time. I have seen both on the open highway. One with the placard and one without it. There is a huge difference in the two. Most buggies stay on the right shoulder of the road and travel at about 8 mph. On a state highway speed of 55 mph, its easy to see, or not see, these buggies without the placard. They do use a lantern on the rear for night travel. If they use a night lantern, then what is the difference in using the placard? The placard has much more visibilty than the placard, even in darkness.

It isn’t for decoration, it is for safety. Yes, they should use them.

the law does not require a placard on buggies, the law requires the placard on slow moving vehicles sharing the public roadways.

If they don’t want the placard, they can stay off the public roads.

I don’t like buying $106.00 license plates every year, but I do it so I can share the public roads.

They aren’t required on a Model A. But a Model A on the freeway might be even more dangerous.

I had a friend who used to get pulled over all the time driving his Model A because he didn’t have blinkers. He had to keep a reference in his car to show that blinkers were not standard equipment on his car and not required at the time of manufacture.

there is a minimum speed requirement for freeways, interstates and divided highways. In Illinois the speed limit is 65mph with a 45mph minimum.

your model A would have to do at least 45mph to use it.

@DrBill How come when I take a cab from O’Hare to Michigan Avenue the speed seems to be around 30 mph?

Some highways in California have no minimum because there is no alternative route, no frontage road.

@zenvelo
there are also traffic conditions that slow traffic to a craw, but the speed laws are still there.

I hate wearing my bicycle helmet, I think next time a cop stops me for not wearing it, I will tell him my god says they are decoration on my head and I can’t wear one.

They are not being singled out because of their religious ideas, it is required for all vehicles, so I can’t think of an amendment that would allow them to avoid the law.

I just can’t imagine how reasonably intelligent adult human beings can have any faith in a god who has nothing better to do than worry about “decorations” on a car or promises 92 virgins, or says you can’t practice birth control or you can’t eat pigs but cows are okay???????

With regard to Model A’s, I think antique cars (that is cars over 25 years old and driven limited miles per annum) can legally avoid some of the more modern requirements.

If they want to use the public roads then they should have the placards, it’s a safety feature for occupants of all vehicles, not only the ones Amish buggy drivers & riders choose to ride in.