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Cumberland County officials weigh signage, mowing and education after two buggy fatalities
Summary
After two Sunday-evening buggy fatalities on Route 45, Cumberland County staff and the sheriff outlined a mix of near-term steps (added signage, targeted mowing, public education) and longer-term ideas (regionally coordinated legislation, flashing signs) to reduce future collisions.
Sheriff Hodges said the county has fielded many public concerns after two fatalities involving horse-drawn buggies on Route 45 — one on Oct. 17, 2021, and a second on July 14, 2024 — each occurring in a passing zone on a 55 mph stretch and within a quarter-mile of one another.
County staff told supervisors that VDOT has signaled a willingness to add directional signage near Amish destination points and that the county has already used press releases and reader boards to raise awareness. Staff urged a two-track response: immediate, low-cost measures such as additional conventional buggy signs, solar flashing signs and extra roadside mowing in heavy-traffic areas; and a longer-term regional effort to consider legislative changes or standardized equipment requirements for nonmotorized vehicles.
Members of the board and several speakers discussed alternatives. One commenter pointed to a neighboring county’s approach of combining fixed buggy symbols with flashing beacons to alert drivers; Sheriff Hodges said the sheriff’s association has discussed systems that trigger a flashing sign when an animal-drawn vehicle approaches, likening it to an ‘EZPass’-style activation, but cautioned such systems would raise cost and feasibility questions and likely require state action on equipment and exemptions.
The sheriff and staff also highlighted nonregulatory steps: targeted public-education in driver‑education programs and outreach at schools, coordination with area volunteer committees, and more frequent mowing to improve sight lines on curved segments. Staff recommended working regionally — through the county regional commission — to draft any legislative platform and returning to the board with a proposed local signage plan and public-education campaign.
Next steps: staff said they will consult with VDOT about immediate signage placements and coordinate internally (including schools and regional partners) to develop a proposed toolkit for board review and possible regional legislative outreach.
