Source: Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin lawmakers are looking for ways to reduce the number of crashes between motorized vehicles and Amish buggies and wagons.

Two recent fatal crashes have brought the issue to the forefront, said State Rep. Bob Kulp, R-Stratford, who is working with the Amish community and legislators to make the roads safer for everyone.

In November, a suspected drunken driver in a pickup truck struck and killed an Amish father of six and his 10-year-old son. Last week in Clark County, the driver of a horse-drawn buggy was killed when his spooked horse turned in front of an oncoming logging truck.

Kulp said the crashes happen too often, especially in the rural parts of Wisconsin where there is a larger Amish and Mennonite population.

“It’s the kind of thing that I believe can be avoidable for the most part, and that’s why it’s time  to take some steps,” Kulp said.

Current state regulations require Amish wagons and buggies to present some form of marking, typically an orange, triangle-shaped reflective piece and often small, battery-powered red lights, not unlike what might be found on a bicycle.

The problem, said Kulp, is that those markings are often not visible enough, particularly when snowy or foggy conditions are present.

Finding a solution will take some negotiating with the Amish community, and Kulp said he has begun to speak with Amish leaders. The challenge, said Kulp, is that Amish congregations vary in their beliefs and what they’re willing to add to their buggies.

“We need to find something that is unique enough that says here is a horse-drawn vehicle and something that kind of cuts through the middle of where the Amish congregations are,” Kulp said.

Trying to find that balance will be difficult, but Kulp said he believes there are a number lawmakers in the state Assembly and likely in the Senate who are up for it.

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