(KWNO)-The Minnesota Department of Transportation has installed new flashing driver alert signs to help increase motorist awareness that an Amish buggy is on the road on a stretch of Highway 44 between Mabel and Canton in Fillmore County. The area is home to the largest Amish community in Minnesota.
A stretch of Highway 44 has narrow shoulders where guard rail is placed, forcing the horse-drawn buggies to travel on the road instead of on the shoulder. The purpose of this safety system is to alert the motorist of the presence of a buggy at this location. One sign in each direction has a flashing beacon that is activated when a buggy is approximately 150 feet from the start of the guard rail. The sign has an Amish buggy symbol with a flashing beacon mounted on top and a sign below that indicates the warning is in effect when flashing. The system is similar to the warning systems used in MnDOT’s Rural Intersection Conflict Warning Systems. A sensor is activated, signaling a flashing beacon to warn motorists on Highway 44 to watch for a buggy.
There was a fatal buggy-vehicle crash on a Fillmore County road in 2023 and another crash in 2025. This is the first system of its kind deployed by MnDOT.
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