Ky. bill could keep Amish, non-Amish drivers safe

Proposed legislation could relieve the unhappiness of motorists, police and judges with a segment of Kentucky's Amish population, which refuses to place reflective orange triangles on their buggies as state law mandates for slow-moving vehicles. Sen. Ken Winters, R-Murray, thinks he has a solution in Senate Bill 75, which would "increase visibility of buggies and not offend the Amish religious beliefs," reports Tom Berry of the Murray Ledger & Times.

UPDATE, Jan. 24: A similar bill received a good reception in a House committee, reports Jack Brammer of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Men of an Amish sect in Graves, Warren and other counties have been cited for refusing to post orange safety triangles on their buggies and chosen to serve jail time rather than pay fines. In Graves County, nine men appealed 2008 misdemeanor convictions last June, but the state Court of Appeals said "religious practices can't supersede the rights and safety of the public at large." The men have appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Winters' bill would allow buggies to have silver reflective tape on the back and sides instead of an orange triangle, which the strict Old Order Swartzentruber sect says would violate their precepts against bright colors and their belief that man-made symbols should not be responsible for their safety. Winters said the tape would increase "all-around visibility, particularly when illuminated by vehicle headlights." The bill would also require mounted lanterns on both sides of buggies, with the left one higher so drivers can "tell if they are in the correct lane and pass on the left 'high-beam' side." (Read more)