Sheriff Maciol: Both motorists and the Amish share a critical responsibility for safety on the roadways
Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol says both motorists and the Amish community split a responsibility together for when it comes to sharing the roadway safely.
According to the Sheriff, there is no question that New York State, specifically our local Central and Northern New York region, has witnessed an influx of Amish families since he took office almost 15-years ago.
Listen to our latest on-air segment with the Sheriff from Tuesday, August 13, 2024:
"There are a lot more buggies on the road, a lot more Amish farm equipment on the road," the Sheriff told us.
Unfortunately, this year has marked a significant uptick in Amish buggy v. vehicle accidents for Oneida County and Sheriff Maciol says that correlates directly with an increased number of horse & buggy rigs on the road.
"We've had a handful throughout the year of minor accidents with them," the Sheriff explained. "But the last two, unfortunately, have been very, very serious for when it comes to injuries."
He's talking about the ones that occurred just north of Utica, NY and in Ava, NY, all within just a few weeks of one another.
Furthermore, there was an Amish buggy wreck in Lewis County prior to the incidents in Oneida County, which unfortunately resulted in a fatality.
With more Amish families locally, what can drivers do to safely share the road with their horse & buggy rigs? The Sheriff says it goes both ways.
"The Amish themselves have a responsibility to know the rules of the road and they also have a responsibility to have their buggies properly marked," the Sheriff iterated.
Although Sheriff Maciol says he would like to see stricter regulations enacted for when it comes to marking and making buggies more easily visible, there are two legal options that the Amish have to help ensure the chances that oncoming motorists can spot them.
The first includes a slow moving vehicle emblem clearly displayed on the back of their buggy. The second includes at-least 72-inches of reflective tape that outlines the buggy, with a lit lantern that hangs off the driver's side.
In the near future, the Sheriff says he would like to see state legislation that requires Amish families to rig their buggies with battery operated blinking lights.
In fact, some Amish communities here locally already do that, but it is not legally required to be compliant with New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, according to our conversation with the Sheriff.
For when it comes to motorists, the Sheriff says it all boils down to paying attention. "The top two contributing factors (for when it comes to accident investigations across New York) continue to remain speeding and driver inattention," the Sheriff warned.
For example, if you are driving a motor vehicle and approach a blind hill or a sharp curve, the Sheriff says it's common sense to slow down and err on the side of caution.
With more and more Amish families sharing the roadway with motorists locally and statewide, Sheriff Maciol says it is more important now than ever for drivers to keep an extra sharp eye out for a potential Amish buggy to appear around a corner or on the crest of a hill.
Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol image.
