FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — In an effort to make central Aroostook County’s roads safer for everyone, a group in Fort Fairfield and the local Amish community are sharing tips for sharing the road.
The Fort Fairfield Quality of Place Council and Amish leaders from Easton and Fort Fairfield have launched a campaign to educate the public about sharing roadways with Amish buggies.
They are distributing a brochure called “Sharing the Road Safely: Amish Horse Drawn Vehicles and Motor Vehicles,” and aiming to have the publication included in local driver training classes.
“We have heard many drivers of both motorized and nonmotorized vehicles express concerns about situations that they have encountered that have left them shaken,” said Phil Christensen, a Fort Fairfield retiree who leads the Quality of Place Council.
“The tips we present in our brochure for Amish drivers are suggestions we developed to avoid situations that our local residents have experienced. Our primary concern is the potential for a nighttime tragedy.
-
- A pair of Amish drivers cross paths in their horse drawn buggies on the Page Road in Fort Fairfield in October 2009. (Paul Cyr Photography)
The brochure, available at schools, libraries and other locations, includes safety tips for both motorized vehicle drivers and Amish horse-drawn buggy drivers, Christensen said.
In the 10 years since Amish families settled in Easton and Fort Fairfield, there have been numerous crashes of varying severity between horse-drawn buggies and cars and trucks. According to Noah Yoder, an Amish leader from Fort Fairfield, there are 33 Amish families living in Easton, Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, comprising a few hundred people.
In July 2015, a horse carrying a buggy on Route 10 near the border of Easton and Presque Isle was euthanized after it was rear-ended by an SUV, whose driver was distracted and didn’t see the buggy, according to police. An Amish mother and daughter were treated at The Aroostook Medical Center and released that night.
In November 2013, an Amish teenager riding in a horse-drawn buggy was rear-ended on Route 1A in Easton, in what police later determined was a hit and run. In that case, both the Amish driver and horse escaped injury, but the buggy was damaged.
It is not clear how many accidents involving Amish buggies and vehicles occur in Maine each year.
The aftermath of a July 2015 crash between a horse-drawn buggy and an SUV near the border of Easton and Presque Isle. A horse was later euthanized and an Amish mother and daughter riding in the carriage suffered minor injuries. (File photo)
Christensen said that the group that developed the brochure wants to educate all drivers and road users about safely sharing the roads, particularly new drivers, who are also at higher risk of traffic crashes due to distractions such as smartphones.
The Northern Maine Development Commission assisted in publishing the brochure using a grant from the Maine Department of Transportation.
The brochure includes a range of tips for motor vehicle drivers and Amish buggy drivers.
For vehicle drivers, the brochure suggests avoiding loud sounds, such as horns or revved engines, which could spook the horses. For Amish buggy drivers, the brochure offers tips for dealing with blind spots on hills and curves, and recommends using front and rear reflectors on the buggies.
In general, Christensen said, sharing the roads with Amish buggies relies on simple safe driving techniques: “always stay alert and use caution and common sense.”
