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St. Lawrence County Sheriffs Office

St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety ProgramSt. Lawrence County Clerk

seNator

PattY rItChIe

FOR MORE INFORMATION

OUR AMISH NEIGHBORS

New Yorks Amish population is

the fastest growing in the U.S.,

and St. Lawrence County is home

to the second largest Amish

community in the state.

The Old Order Amish,

descendants of the radicalAnabaptist Reformation, first

came to the North Country in 1974

in search of available farmland.

St. Lawrence County is now

home to 11 different Amish

communities, each with their own

churches, schools and customs.

Understanding some of

these customs, such as the

reliance by many Amish on slow-

moving horse-and-buggies, can

help keep our roadways and

our communities safer.

Senator Patty Ritchie

330 Ford StreetOgdensburg, NY 13669

(315) 393-3024www.ritchie.nysenate.gov

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells

Emergency: 91148 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617

(315) 379-2222www.co.st-lawrence.ny.us/Departments/Sheriff

St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Program

80 State Highway 310, Suite 1Canton, NY 13617

(315) 379-2306

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM

state seNator

PattY rItChIe

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THE

ROAD

St. Lawrence County County Clerk Mary Lou Rupp

48 Court StreetCanton, NY 13617(315) 379-2237

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St. Lawrence County roads may seem quiet and uncongested, but

rural roads are not engineered for high speeds, and passenger

vehicles share the road with trucks, cyclists, farm vehicles,

pedestrians, and a growing number of Amish families who rely

on slow-moving, horse-powered buggies as their main form of

transportation. While the notion of sharing the road with anAmish buggy may seem like a quaint notion, keep these facts in

mind to avoid a tragedy.

share the road

Amish Buggies...

Movemuchslowerthanothertrafc,usuallyabout 5-8 mph.(orslower, i pu ll ingawagon). Arenotequippedwithsideandrearviewmirrors.

Are painted b lack ordark colors. Mayusegreyreectivetapeandonelanternmounted on the let rear in l ieuo thes lowmoving vehic le triangle. Thehorses that drawthebuggiesare like other animals :theymaybe startledbyloudnoises o r behaveunpredictably. Horsesotenbackupaeweetwhenstoppedatstop signs,lights,etc. Noiseoclompinghoovesmaydrownoutsoundo vehicle approaching rombeh ind.

Motorists should...

Alwaysexpectbuggiesorotherslowmovingvehicles onruralroads.

S lowdownimmediatelyandmainta ina saespeed nearbuggies,sothat theycanstopquicklyineeded.

Maintainaspacecushionosevera lyardsbehind buggies,evenwhenstopped.

Rerainromhonking,revvingengine,ormakingother loudnoises.

Dimtheirbrightheadlightswhenabuggyisoncoming,as theywouldorothervehicles.

Remain patien tandcourteous .

Rules for passing a buggy

Motoristsshouldonlypassabuggyiit issaeand legal.

Onatwo-lanehighway,vehiclesintheoncominglane

havetherightoway. Driversshouldwait until sight distanceisgoodand thelaneisclear.

Reducespeedandmovetotheletsideotheirlane, providingasmuchroomaspossiblebetween theirvehicleandthebuggy.

Neverpassonahillor blindcurveintheroadway.

Keep in mind

Amishchildrenarenotbusedtoschool;theywalk,as muchas1-1/2mileseachway.

Motoristsneedtobeverycareulwhenchildrenare walkingalongtheroadstoandromtheir Amishschools.

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