Exempts horse-drawn carriages or carts from the ban on night riding if they display at least two lighted lamps on the front of the vehicle, one on each side, having light sources of equal power and visible from the front for a distance of at least three hundred fifty feet; at least one lighted lamp on the rear, located between the center and the left side of the vehicle, which shall display a red or amber fixed or flashing light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet; and reflective material upon the shafts of the vehicle or other parts thereof which shall normally parallel the body, head or legs of the horse pulling such vehicle.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8419
SPONSOR: Woerner TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to exceptions
to the ban on night riding
PURPOSE:
To require horse-drawn carriages operating at night to have safety
lights and reflectors.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: amends section 1264 of the vehicle and traffic law to provide
for headlights, a tail light and certain reflective material
Section 2: establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
In 2010, there were 12,000 Amish people living in New York. By 2023,
that number rose to 23,000, and climbing, thanks to the availability of
reasonably priced farmland in parts of the state. While the Amish are
welcome in upstate communities, there have been increasing number of
accidents involving horse-drawn buggies and motor'vehicles. In February
2023, a two-year-old girl in Barneveld, New York, was in critical condi-
tion after the buggy she was traveling in was hit by a drunk driver. In
September 2023, a pickup truck hit a buggy in Alexandria, New York,
killing two toddlers. Also in September, a Honda minivan hit a buggy and
the 29-year-old Amish driver from Le Ray, New York was taken to the
hospital. In December 2023, another pickup truck in Oswegatchie, New
York, hit a buggy and crucially injured the 19year-old driver while
killing a 21-year-old passenger. Almost all of these accidents occured
at night or in early morning light or in other conditions of poor visi-
bility.
There are no statewide requirements for lights on horse-drawn vehicles.
This bill would require headlights, a taillight and reflective tape on
any buggy driven from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before
sunrise. Although some Amish object to having lights on their buggies,
they could avoid this requirement by restricting their driving to
daylight hours.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect ninety days after it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8419
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
December 29, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to exceptions
to the ban on night riding
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1264 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by
2 chapter 676 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 1264. Ban on night riding. (a) No person shall ride or lead a horse
4 upon a roadway during the period from one-half hour after sunset to
5 one-half hour before sunrise, provided however that horse-drawn
6 carriages or carts may be driven upon a roadway during such period if
7 they display:
8 (1) at least two lighted lamps on the front of the vehicle, one on
9 each side, having light sources of equal power and visible from the
10 front for a distance of at least three hundred fifty feet;
11 (2) at least one lighted lamp on the rear, located between the center
12 and the left side of the vehicle, which shall display a red or amber
13 fixed or flashing light visible from a distance of at least five hundred
14 feet; and
15 (3) reflective material upon the shafts of the vehicle or other parts
16 thereof which shall normally parallel the body, head or legs of the
17 horse pulling such vehicle.
18 (b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to [horse-drawn
19 carriages or carts or] police officers, peace officers or park rangers
20 mounted on horseback.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
22 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13923-01-3
