This Virginia County Might Be First To Test a High-Tech Amish Buggy Warning System
Two months after it was first reported, a high-tech warning system designed to alert drivers to Amish buggies on the roads might be coming to life in one county in Virginia.
Reports are that Pittsylvania County, VA might be the first to see this system in use – at least the first in Virginia. It’s unclear if this has been tested or implemented elsewhere.
And maybe “high-tech” is a relative term, but it’s definitely going to involve more tech than typically found on an Amish buggy.
The solution would involve buggies carrying sensors that trigger a flashing light on a roadside warning sign. It has been likened to an EZ-Pass for buggies – as described here by Cumberland County, VA Sheriff Darrell Hodges:
“It would be placed on an Amish buggy, and when it goes by the sign, it activates. Then the lights would start flashing right then, and it would have a sign underneath that says something like, ‘buggy within the next 2 miles.’”
Pittsylvania County is home to three small Amish settlements, but two are very small (one to two dozen people each). The third, though, near Chatham, has closer to 100 – and it is a New Order Amish settlement (I visited this one in 2019).
That’s where I thought they might be considering doing this – a decent-sized community with relatively technologically progressive Amish people. However, the proposed test area is actually in the Gretna settlement, home to only around two dozen Amish residents.
So that’s a bit surprising as there just simply aren’t that many buggies on the roads in that area. Although, the system is designed to work with other slow-moving vehicles as well.
And I suppose that for testing purposes, you are only targeting a limited area at a time and collecting your data and then drawing conclusions. And it sounds like the test area targets a busy, potentially hazardous stretch of one road in the Gretna community. From the report at WSLS:
The system aims to reduce serious crashes on a busy stretch of Hermosa Road near Gretna, where cars, tractors and horse-drawn buggies share a narrow roadway.
“I’ve almost run over them, yeah,” said Pittsylvania County resident Richard Williams. “Oh, it’s definitely dangerous.”
Katie McClimans, another local resident, said drivers often find themselves unsure about passing slow vehicles safely. “Typically, they’ll come into rural areas, and you’ll get behind them and go slow and you’re kind of unsure if you should pass them or not because you know you don’t want to cause an accident.”
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors is considering backing the new warning system, which would be the first of its kind in Virginia.
And more:
County staff report an average of 18 slow vehicles travel this road daily, with multiple buggy-related crashes in recent years.
Stevens recalled some tragic incidents: “September of ’23 there was a fatal crash north of Spring Valley, two young Amish sisters were killed when a driver hit a buggy with an SUV. In 2020, a crash in Gretna killed a 19-year-old and injured several others.”
There was also this crash in the county earlier this summer.
What’s coming next? It looks like the Virginia DOT has to now seek funding for the project through the state’s innovation fund. The project will also need sign-off by the Pittsylvania Board of Supervisors.
In theory, the data gathered here could then lead to implementation state-wide – if it proves effective enough. I like to see these more outside-the-box ideas being tried. So let’s hope that this moves along rapidly, and that it can be learned whether this system might indeed help reduce crashes in the state – and potentially beyond.
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I hope it works! Its a great idea, now they need to get an E-bike/Golf Cart sign here in Ohio.
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Hey Erik, I wanted to post here one more time. I just wanted to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed this website. I’ve followed it for a very long time and checked it multiple times a day. I especially enjoyed the appearances and stories from people who are close to the Amish and interact with them regularly.
I loved hearing their stories and perspectives. I probably won’t see if you reply back, but I wish you the best and wanted to say thank you as I continue on my own journey of converting. I’m not a romanticized seeker—I understand the realities of Amish life, both the good and the hard. Still, the support I’ve been shown, even before moving in January, has been unbelievable.
I know many people have doubts, but God makes things people don’t see as possible… possible.
Thank you for entertaining and informing your audience. You deserve much more recognition than you get. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone at Amish America! Thank you for the work you do to keep your followers informed, educated, and entertained.
Auf Wiedersehen from the great state of Ohio!
Hi Daniel, very kind of you, and I do wish you the best as well. I know we have appreciated your comments. Did I understand that you will have your computer access into January now though? And Merry Christmas to you to.
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Yes, sir! I will have computer access till the 2nd of January. Then I will be moving in with the bishop on the 3rd and attending the youth group and church the 4th of January. Then I will be turning 18 the 6th (Old Christmas) so quite a busy week. Thanks for wishing me well!
Tracked
I wonder if the general Amish population would accept this type of technology or will they feel tracked? Their buggies will have be registered and there might even be some type of registration fee – similar to regular vehicles.
That’s a good question, some I think would and others would hesitate at the least. “Early adopters” might help pave the way for the more reluctant ones though, assuming the system is effective.