Can you legally pass an Amish buggy on Kentucky roads? How to safely share the road
A rear-end collision in Breckinridge County involving a horse-drawn Amish buggy has sent four people to the hospital, including some with life-threatening injuries.
The collision happened just after 3 p.m. March 6 around the 14000 block of South KY 259, according to a Friday release from Kentucky State Police. Three juveniles were among those airlifted to medical care.
A buggy on the road is not an unusual sight in Kentucky, which is one of the most populous states for Amish communities. According to 2025 estimates from the Young Center at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, Kentucky had 15,915 Amish and they’ve settled in counties throughout the state.
So what should you do if you encounter a horse-drawn buggy on a winding country road in Kentucky? If you need a refresher about safely passing a horse and buggy, including whether it’s even legal to do so, here’s a primer with information from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Is it legal to pass a horse and buggy while driving the roads of Kentucky?
Under state law, when one vehicle passes another going in the same direction, Kentucky Revised Statute 189.340(1) states “the driver of a vehicle overtaking other vehicles proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left of them and shall not again drive to the right until reasonably clear of those vehicles.”
Kentucky law, specifically KRS 189.010, has a broad definition of what constitutes a “vehicle,” defining it to include:
- “All agencies for the transportation of persons or property over or upon the public highways of the Commonwealth” and
“All vehicles passing over or upon the highways.”
Under that statute, horse-drawn carriages and buggies may not be considered “motor” vehicles because they would fit the definition of “vehicles propelled by muscular power.” However, that does not mean they cannot be considered vehicles in a more general sense. Their purpose, after all, is to transport people and property “over or upon” the road.
KRS 189.340 refers to “vehicles” and not just motor vehicles when describing the rules for overtaking on Kentucky’s roadways.
Kentucky’s Driver Manual directs drivers to safely share the road with “animal drawn vehicles.”
The manual states, “in some rural areas, you may be sharing the road with animal drawn vehicles and horseback riders. They have the same rights to use the road as a motor vehicle and must follow the same rules of the road.”
When passing any vehicle, including horse-drawn buggies, do so legally. Generally, that means following road signs and markings that designate safe-passing zones, passing on the left and returning to the right lane as safely as possible, leaving reasonable room for any vehicles you’re overtaking.
How to safely share the road with a horse and buggy
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the agency for the state home to the largest and oldest Amish settlements in the country, you should always make sure you have enough room to safely pass a horse-drawn buggy on the road.
Keep in mind these types of vehicles will often roll back a few feet when they stop at a traffic light or in the roadway. To avoid being surprised, drop your speed, stay alert and make sure you can see the buggy’s wheels touching the road, otherwise you may be too close.
A few other important tips, provided by PennDOT, include the following:
Lay off your horn when you’re near a horse. The animal will probably be wearing blinders so it isn’t easily spooked when objects enter its peripheral vision. That said, loud noises can startle horses, so slow down when approaching a horse and leave plenty of room when you pass.
If you spot a horse and buggy approaching from the opposite direction you’re traveling, dim your headlights and stay alert to any vehicles that might attempt to pass it.
Stay alert when you’re traveling at night. In Kentucky, don’t expect all Amish vehicles to be marked with an orange triangle indicating a slow-moving vehicle. In 2012, state law was updated so Amish drivers would no longer be jailed for refusing to display the symbols. Many declined to do so on religious grounds. As a result, the Amish may use reflective silver or white tape on their horse-drawn carriages and buggies.
Do you have a question about Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM.