Ohio’s Amish Buggy Law Sparks Constitutional Controversy
The Swartzentruber Amish, a conservative sect within the Amish community, have initiated legal action to challenge Ohio’s new traffic law mandating yellow flashing lights on animal-drawn buggies. This lawsuit, filed in Hardin County Common Pleas Court in August 2024, argues that the law infringes upon their First Amendment right to religious expression[1][2].
My opinion:
Personally, I think it is stupid of the Amish not to light up their buggies. Where I live, there are 3 communities close by, and several more not far away. The community closest to me in Piedmont. Ohio light up their buggies with flashing lights. The Peoli Amish about 20 miles from me are Schwartzentruber, just like the group in this article. They don’t light their buggies with electric lights, but they do display a burning lantern at night.
There is a group south of me that does not light up or even use the safety triangles. One dark moonless night, traveling 50 miles an hour down a state highway, at one point I saw a black boxy shape about 100 yards ahead of me – an unlight Amish buggy with no reflective tape or triangle. If I had been distracted even for a moment, or if it had been raining, I never would have seen them.
What the Amish do not realize is when they don’t make their buggies highly visible, they do not only make it dangerous for themselves, but for others. I can’t imagine having to go through life knowing I killed someone if that had happened that evening.
I do support their right to fight this law in court. I hope they win. But I pray they change their minds about lighting their buggies before even one more person is harmed or killed.
This is about 5 miles from my house.
Legal Battle and Enforcement
Harvard University Law School’s Religious Freedom Clinic has joined forces with the Swartzentruber Amish to contest the law’s enforcement[1]. Since the law’s implementation in June 2022, over 200 citations have been issued to Amish buggy drivers[2]. The legal team has successfully obtained a temporary restraining order from the Hardin County Common Pleas Court, temporarily halting the law’s enforcement[5].
Safety Concerns vs. Religious Beliefs
The law was enacted following a statewide study revealing 723 buggy-related crashes, including 15 fatalities, over a decade[3]. Ohio’s roads are shared by millions of drivers and over 76,000 Amish and Mennonite travelers, particularly in Ashland, Wayne, and Holmes counties[3].
The Swartzentruber Amish, who formed in Holmes County over a century ago, adhere to stricter technological limitations compared to other Amish groups[3]. They use reflective tape and oil lanterns on their buggies but reject battery-powered lights, believing that showy behavior and reliance on worldly items contradict their faith[3].
Legal and Social Implications
The lawsuit contends that the law forces Swartzentruber Amish to choose between legal compliance and their religious beliefs[1]. Non-compliance can result in misdemeanor charges, fines, court costs, buggy confiscation, and property liens[2].
Some Swartzentruber Amish feel targeted by law enforcement. Court filings describe incidents where officers waited outside church services and courthouses to issue citations[1][3]. The Ohio Legislative Service Commission had previously noted potential First Amendment issues with the legislation[3].
Safety Study Findings
Interestingly, the state traffic safety study found that most buggy crashes occur during daylight and in clear weather conditions[3]. The study attributed these accidents to factors such as distracted driving, poor sight lines, and speed differentials, rather than visibility issues[1].
As this legal battle unfolds, it highlights the delicate balance between public safety concerns and the protection of religious freedoms in a diverse society.
Citations:
[1] https://hls.harvard.edu/clinic-stories/in-a-remote-corner-of-ohio-a-traffic-law-brings-harvard-to-the-aid-of-the-amish/
[2] https://coryanderson.org/buggy-safety-or-religious-infringement/
[3] https://www.ashlandsource.com/2022/12/20/old-order-amish-man-sheds-light-on-swartzentruber-defiance-to-ohios-new-buggy-law/
[4] https://www.yahoo.com/news/flashing-lights-too-flashy-amish-030224321.html
[5] https://coryanderson.org/flashing-lights-and-flickering-rights/
[6] https://twitter.com/Enquirer/status/1863421591918362626
[7] https://casetext.com/case/state-v-swartzentruber
[8] https://www.ashlandsource.com/2022/11/04/11-more-amish-men-fined-for-violating-buggy-law-in-ashland/