According to a Purdue University research, the Amish community is expanding more quickly than the general population, which is causing more automobile and buggie collisions.
“Compared to motor vehicle incidents, these collisions result in a disproportionate number of fatalities,” according to the research.
The majority of Amish buggies lack seatbelts and other safety features, which makes any collision involving them riskier than others, lawyer Dan Armstrong told WNDU.
“There’s not going to be air bags, there’s not going to even be structural components to these buggies that will protect the occupants,” he said.
However, he also told the site that it’s “tricky” to strike a balance between attempting to make the roadways safer and without violating the Amish people’s values.
In Indiana, there is no minimum age requirement to operate a horse-drawn vehicle, according to WDNU.
