Fatality Raises Concerns

It’s no secret that the Amish population in northern Wisconsin is on the rise. And that’s all fine and good with me. However, I do have reservations about the way in which automobiles and buggies are required to share roadways. I’m not going to sugar-coat this, by any means. Buggies should not be allowed to travel on highways where the posted speed limit is 55 mph and above. I’m not saying that Amish and Old Order Mennonite folks should be banned from all roadways if they are traveling by buggy, but, in my eyes, it’s just too dangerous.

First off, most buggies are not equipped with proper lighting, thus posing a huge threat, especially if they happen to be traveling along the road near or after sundown, which I’ve witnessed. Add to that the fact that buggies typically don’t reach speeds in excess of 15 mph. When operating lightweight, wooden vehicles on the same roads with heavy, metal 4-by-4 pickups and 18 wheelers, lives most certainly will be lost. And they have been.

Granted, the most recent fatality that occurred near Whitehall was a buggy vs. sedan, I’d hate to imagine what might have happened had that sedan been a semi, which are quite prevalent in the area, mind you. Those buggies are oddly built so that the passengers are ejected if it is rear-ended, what with the seating area above the impact zone. Another thing that concerns me is the way in which buggies are allowed to operate on state highways without meeting the required safety measures – child safety seats, seat belts and airbags, to name a few.

I recall a very similar scenario playing out last summer when a van rear-ended an Amish buggy, resulting in the death of an infant. The 6-week-old girl’s parents were riding in the buggy with her when the accident occurred, but what concerns me is why the girl was killed. The baby was not secured in a car seat (as she should have been if she were in a motorized vehicle) and was ejected from her mother’s arms when the buggy was struck from behind. Again, I understand the need to adhere to the Ordnung, but, not having a child in a safety seat would be, by today’s standards, considered negligent.

There are even some who refuse to display slow-moving vehicle signs on their buggies because they are too flashy. I respect the need for members of the Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities to respect and honor their heritage, but when it comes to safety, I don’t think they should be afforded the opportunity to refuse to comply with state laws. No one else can … at least not without paying some sort of forfeiture, that is. And, at this point, there’s no way to tell if the driver of the sedan had been distracted or experienced sun-blindness, when the setting sun hinders vision.

Regardless, I think everyone traveling on our roadways needs to be a lot more attentive and aware of what’s going around them. Distractions like cell phones, radios and everything else aside, more attention needs to be paid to the actual act of driving. There’s no doubt in my mind that cutting down on the number of driving-related fatalities is a group effort.

Jennie Oemig
Editor
Arcadia News-Leader