Amish commuters travel on the shoulder because horses REALLY don't like being 15 mph in 65 mph vehicle traffic, hell, it's surprising that they don't bolt when loud huge semis roar by with a load of lumber.
Narrow shoulders pose the greatest risk because buggies are forced into the traffic lane, where they impede faster-moving vehicles.
Michigan has the sixth-largest Amish population in the U.S., totaling about 18,000 people.
To ensure the shoulders of the highways provide enough leeway, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) utilizes an 1927 Model T as its standard of measurement.
The narrow track on the buggy appears to pretty much match the width on the Model T, because when Ford developed the Model T, it was built to the specs of the time’s top transporter: a horse-drawn carriage. Ford built the Model T to the width of the wagon track, so instead of trying to straddle the ruts, the Model T drops right in.
Kirby explains that buggies have different configurations, sometimes specific to a region. “What was called the ‘narrow track’ was used more in the northern states, and it had an axle width of about 64 inches,” he said. According to Kirby,
Kirby explains that buggies have different configurations, sometimes specific to a region. “What was called the ‘narrow track’ was used more in the northern states, and it had an axle width of about 64 inches,” he said. According to Kirby,
“For the most part, if you’re riding in a Model T, you’re going to have about the same experience on the shoulder of a road that you would if you’re riding in an Amish buggy,” said Kirby. The vehicle allows the transportation authority to safely do these road assessments while, at the same time, not imposing on the communities. Such road audits are critical in improving road safety and minimizing crashes.
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