PENNDOT REMINDS MOTORISTS TO KEEP ALERT FOR HORSE-DRAWN BUGGIES
Offers Safety Tips
Indiana, PA (November 16) - Horse drawn buggies share the roads in several sections of western Pennsylvania and motorists need to keep alert to avoid collisions.
In most collisions with horse-drawn buggies, the automobile drivers often say they never saw the horse or the buggy.
Horse-drawn buggies areas include:
• Indiana County, Route 210 and Route 954 in the Smicksburg and Trade City areas. Route 119 north near Rochester Mills. Route 56 near Brush Valley.
• Jefferson County, Route 410 towards Luthersburg in Clearfield County. Route 119 north from Big Run to Sykesville. Route 28 from Brookville to Hazen.
• Clarion County: Route 208 from Fryburg to Tylersburg. Route 368 and Route 68.
• Armstrong County: Route 210 near Keystone Lake
PennDOT offers these safe-driving tips to help make the highways safe for both motorized and horse drawn vehicles:
• In the areas mentioned above, always be on the lookout for horse-drawn buggies. Horse- drawn buggies often are black, travel less than 8 mph and are difficult to pick out especially at dusk or at night.
• Keep your distance. Leave a "cushion of safety" between you and a horse-drawn vehicle. If the horse-drawn vehicle is stopped at a stop sign, allow at least 10-12 feet of clearance between your vehicle and the buggy. This will allow some extra room for the buggy to roll back a few feet.
• Allow extra space between vehicles. Following too closely can be especially dangerous, as it puts undue pressure on the horse and its driver. It also can impair your ability to safely see around the vehicle.
• Learn to share the highway. You will most likely encounter a horse-drawn vehicle on rural roads that are generally narrower. Motorists must use extreme caution when approaching or passing any vehicle.
• At intersections, look left, right and then left again before pulling out. A horse-drawn vehicle may have a difficult time braking to a complete stop.
• Be aware that horse-drawn buggies operate in all types of weather and are required to display an orange and red triangle shaped emblem on the rear of the vehicle.
• Always concentrate on driving safely |