The Swartzentruber Amish community is taking legal action to challenge Ohio’s recent traffic regulation mandating yellow flashing lights on horse-drawn buggies, claiming it infringes on their First Amendment rights regarding religious expression.

Represented by the Religious Freedom Clinic at Harvard Law School, the Swartzentruber Amish are seeking to prevent the law from being enforced.

Since the law was established in June 2022, over 200 tickets have been issued to Amish buggy operators. This new legislation follows a statewide investigation that documented 723 buggy accidents, including 15 fatalities, over the last decade.

In Ohio, millions of drivers share the roads with more than 76,000 Amish and Mennonite individuals, particularly in Ashland, Wayne, and Holmes counties. The horse-drawn buggies travel at speeds under 10 miles per hour, often sharing the road with faster-moving cars and trucks.

The Swartzentruber Amish, a conservative group established in Holmes County over 100 years ago, adhere to stricter guidelines than more progressive Amish regarding technology use. They utilize reflective tape and oil lamps on their buggies, opting out of battery-operated lights.

According to their beliefs, the Swartzentruber Amish aim to avoid ostentatious behavior and rely minimally on worldly possessions.

The lawsuit, filed in August in Hardin County, claims that the required choice between adhering to the law or their faith imposes undue pressure. Non-compliance with the law could lead to misdemeanor charges, fines, court fees, confiscation of buggies, and liens on their property.

A temporary restraining order was issued by the Hardin County Common Pleas Court last month, as stated by Cory Anderson, a sociologist who studies Amish communities and has been involved in the case.

Before the law was passed, the Ohio Legislative Service Commission acknowledged potential First Amendment concerns.

Some in the Swartzentruber community feel they are being unfairly targeted.

Buggy operators have reported instances of law enforcement targeting their church services in Belmont County, where officers issued numerous tickets to drivers returning home after the services. Additionally, in October 2022, state troopers were present outside Ashland County Municipal Court, issuing even more citations to Swartzentruber individuals attending for prior tickets.

The state traffic safety analysis indicated that most buggy accidents happen during daylight and in clear weather, attributing these incidents to factors like distracted driving, lack of visibility, varying speeds, and others.