BUGGY PROBLEMS CONSIDERED
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 -- 1:15 PM
The Clark County Law Enforcement Committee yesterday addressed the potential hazards created by buggies traveling on area roads.According to Chief Deputy Jim Backus, the Sheriff's Department has received several complaints about buggies, but some stem from a misunderstanding of state law.
Under statute, horse-drawn vehicles need only pull to the right side of their lane, not onto the shoulder or ditch line. Many do, however, out of courtesy to motorized traffic.
There were 12 buggy-versus-car accidents last year; there have been 4 such accidents so far this year.
Records indicate most, if not all, were the fault of the driver of the motorized vehicle.
The committee elected to train a deputy to be a liaison between the department and the Amish community, a tact that has worked well for Green Lake County, which also has a large Amish population.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.