Wood County's proposed horse-buggy rules will drive out Amish, expert says

WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Horse-drawn vehicles would need windshields, seat belts, child car seats and rear-view mirrors if the Wood County Board passes an ordinance it will consider Tuesday.

Amish and other religious groups that rely on animal-pulled buggies also would need to get driver's licenses and vehicle insurance under the measure.

It's an ordinance that an expert in Amish culure says is "completely impractical" and will drive those families out of the county.

The proposed ordinance is intended to save lives, said County Board member Bill Winch of Vesper, who helped to draft the new rules. Nine people have died in crashes involving horse-drawn buggies and wagons in and around Wood County since 2009, and Winch said it's an ongoing concern.

"The Amish have been getting killed and obviously nobody liked that," he said. 

The ordinance requires drivers of animal-drawn vehicles to obey the same regulations the rest of the people on the roads are expected to follow, Winch said. If the board approves the measure, operators of horse buggies would have to get a driver's license from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles. 

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The license requirement would ensure that drivers of the buggies are at least 16 years old and have passed a written test showing basic knowledge of laws involving public roads, Winch said.

If the ordinance is passed, the Amish will leave Wood County, said Mark Louden, a professor of German who specializes in Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch language and culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

"There is no middle ground with this at all," Louden said after reading the proposed ordinance. "It's completely impractical."

The Amish will consider buying liability insurance or getting driver's licenses a violation of their beliefs and values, he said. Some — but not all — would be willing to attach manure catchers on their animals, another proposed rule. 

Amish people want to be good neighbors and want to get along with the community they live in, Louden said. But the proposal simply doesn't leave room for compromise, he said. 

If the ordinance passes, and Amish residents of Wood County start receiving tickets or getting arrested, they will move to another county or state, Louden said. They have been a nomadic people for 300 years, so they are willing to find new homes, he said. 

"All I can think of is if they pass this, they don't want the Amish in Wood County," Louden said.  

Wood County Board Chairman Lance Pliml said the original idea behind the ordinance was to require proper lighting on horse-drawn vehicles and some level of education for all those who drive them. 

Children younger than 10 have been driving horse-drawn vehicles and they don't understand what a "stop" sign means, Pliml said.

In addition to proposing the new rules, county officials have been trying to get Amish schools to add lessons about safely and legally traveling on public roads, he said.

Pliml said he hadn't seen the final proposed ordinance, which was advanced to the County Board by three of its committees. When a reporter shared details of the proposal with him, he said he had concerns about parts of the ordinance, including the driver's license, windshield and seat belt portions. 

The ordinance requires not only windshields, but also side and back windows, all made from safety glass or plastic. It requires seat belts for all drivers and passengers, as well as child safety seats for children younger than 8 years old. It also requires drivers of animal-drawn vehicles to have the same type of insurance that is required for motorized vehicles. 

Pliml said he could understand requiring some type of operator's license similar to the ones required for snowmobiles. 

"The rest of that is a tough sell," he said. 

Wood County Sheriff's Department, Emergency Management and County Board members have been working with elders in the Amish communities to get compliance with state laws regarding lighting and reflective signs. The county handed out new lights to those who would use them, Pliml said. 

Michael Feirer of Marshfield, who is chairman of the County Board's Public Safety Committee, said the proposal is all about making highways safer. 

"We want to get these people who are driving buggies down the road, or carts, to obey the traffic laws," Feirer said. 

The County Board also will consider sending a resolution to Wisconsin legislators explaining Wood County's ordinance and asking that the state also take action to help solve the problem. 

About the meeting

The Wood County Board meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the County Board Room in the Wood County Courthouse, 400 Market St., Wisconsin Rapids.