Sharing public paved roads with fast-moving modern automobiles creates a major safety challenge for horse-drawn Amish buggies. Over the decades, state governments have passed various traffic regulations requiring buggies to display bright reflective markers and battery-powered lights. However, these safety mandates have occasionally led to intense legal disputes with conservative church districts.
The Controversy Over the Orange SMV Triangle
The standard modern safety requirement is the bright orange fluorescent Slow-Moving Vehicle (SMV) triangle. While most Old Order Amish groups display the triangle without issue, ultra-conservative groups—most notably the Swartzentruber Amish—refuse to place the symbol on their buggies.
Their theological objection is two-fold:
- Religious Colors: They consider the bright neon orange color to be worldly, loud, and proud, violating their commitment to modest, plain colors.
- Trust in Divine Protection: They believe placing total faith in a man-made plastic symbol rather than in God’s sovereign protection demonstrates a lack of spiritual trust.
Legal Compromises Across States
After multiple court battles, jail sentences, and fines involving Swartzentruber members in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, several state legislatures enacted legal compromises. Courts permitted conservative buggies to use gray reflective tape combined with traditional oil-burning lanterns as a constitutionally acceptable alternative to the bright orange triangle.