Drivers need to be alert for slow-moving vehicles

FINGER LAKES--Following two serious incidents in Yates County that saw a horse-drawn buggy rear-ended by vehicles causing multiple serious injuries and one death in just over a month, Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike is working with the local Mennonite communities and residents to come up with solutions to and spread awareness of the issue. Speaking generally, Spike said a confluence of factors are all responsible for the accidents and some solutions might not be as simple as they seem.
"These are sad tragedies when they happen because [in] the collisions recently the buggy unit had a perfect right to be where they were... 85 percent of these accidents are from a vehicle rear-ending a horse-drawn buggy and most of them occur during the day... we need to make sure we are doing everything we can regarding these incidents... a lot of people are concerned about this," said Spike.
As it pertains to drivers going through the region, the biggest concern relates to how easy it is to become distracted in a car by something as innocuous as adjusting the in-car infotainment system or checking on a child in the backseat.
"Distracted driving is very concerning because closure time is very fast... you can go hundreds of feet in seconds at 55 miles per hour so if you see that orange triangle emblem (that buggies are required to display) slow down immediately for safety reasons and be alert," Spike said.
The orange triangle is seen on buggies, tractors and other farm equipment to designate a Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV).
The other issue for many drivers is simply a matter of patience.
"Sometimes people don't have the patience they need to have to pass with care and to do it safely to make sure no one is coming the other way," Spike mentioned.
To help combat this issue Spike said he and the county are working on an awareness campaign and are also considering increasing signage along buggy hot spots to let motorists know they are out there and to slow down.
"I was involved with the Governor's Safety Committee for the Guide to Sharing the Road with Slow Moving Vehicles so we have tried to distribute that," Spike added. "We are also considering billboards on slow-moving vehicle awareness and farm equipment. More signs also."
While many pieces of farm equipment can be green, blue or red in color and often stand much taller than normal traffic, buggies are dark in color making it easier for a distracted driver to miss.
"The basic issue is the color of the buggies being matte black, so it is a conspicuity issue," Spike said. "The buggies can resemble the road, they go at a slow-moving speed and the visibility and lack of noticeable motion (can make them hard to see)."
Most Amish, Old Order Mennonite and others in the horse-and-buggy communities practice a lifestyle of varying degrees of plainness which means colors or decorations to attract attention are avoided. However, over the years many buggies, especially in this region of New York, have been fitted with LED flashing lights to increase visibility on the road.
Spike added that for some Amish communities further north and outside of our area they still will not display the SMV triangle, which is against the law.
"And they get into more accidents than we have here," Spike stated.
Along with the orange triangle, the red blinking lights are something the sheriff strongly recommends.
"I am working with Old Order Mennonites on some lighting to see if we can do that differently," Spike said. "We will see how that develops and I might have more to say on that later."
In the meantime, Spike said it is imperative for everyone who drives through the country to be aware of horse-drawn buggies and understand that an animal is at the front.
"Always be careful that an animal-drawn vehicle doesn't make a sudden movement if the horse gets scared," Spike said, adding, "What we talk about is sharing the road, especially in this area... it's important."