Slow-moving vehicles travel Ohio roads and drivers should be prepared to accommodate them. One of the most common types of slow-moving vehicles on Ohio roads are Amish buggies. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) reminds motorists that “driving in Amish communities is different than driving on other rural or urban highways.” According to ODOT, more than 120 buggy accidents occur each year in Ohio, on average.
Slow Moving Vehicle Safety Tips
Normal speeds for horse-drawn buggies, according to ODOT, range from 5-8 miles per hour. To avoid accidents, drivers should be aware of the following safety tips when driving in Ohio’s Amish/Mennonite communities:
- Horse-drawn vehicles may be slower while pulling large farm equipment or when crossing intersections.
- The driver of the horse-drawn vehicle may experience restricted vision and may not be able to see cars behind them.
- Be cautious when passing horse-drawn farm equipment.
- Car drivers “should anticipate left-hand turns made by horse-drawn vehicles into fields and driveways.”
- Rural roads are narrower with less space for passing.
- “Even the fastest horse is slow compared to your car.”
- Knowing “closure time” is a safety factor that could save lives, says ODOT.
“Closure time is the time a driver has to recognize and respond when coming upon other vehicles. Leave some space between your vehicle and a buggy stopped at a stop sign or light. Buggies may back up a few feet after coming to a complete stop,” according to ODOT.
“A good rule of thumb is to stop your vehicle far enough back so that you can see where the rear wheels of the buggy touch the road. This should give you 10 to 12 feet of clearance between you and the buggy. Imagine traveling at 55 miles per hour and coming upon a car traveling at 45 miles per hour that is 500 feet (about 1/10 of a mile) ahead. After six seconds, you will have 412 feet to react before colliding with that car, however, if traveling at 55 miles per hour and coming upon a horse-drawn vehicle traveling at 5 miles per hour that is 500 feet ahead, you will have only 44 feet to react before colliding in the same six seconds,” says ODOT. “Therefore, immediately upon seeing the slow-moving vehicle emblem, slow down and prepare to pass with caution.”
Animal-drawn vehicles are mounted with a slow-moving vehicle sign (red triangle), which is designed to signal motor vehicle drivers to slow down. Vehicles bearing a slow-moving vehicle sign are prohibited by law from traveling faster than 25 miles per hour.
“When approaching and passing a horse-drawn vehicle, remember that horses are unpredictable, and even the most road-safe horse can spook at a fast-moving motor vehicle,” said ODOT. “Be sure to slow down and give buggies and horse-drawn equipment plenty of room when passing. Only pass when legal and safe.”
For more Amish Country safe driving tips visit the following websites…
“Experience Ohio Amish Country”
dot.state.oh.us/districts/D11/Pages/AmishSafety.aspx.
And, if you’re involved in an accident with a slow moving vehicle, contact us at Warren Law Firm here…
