The Nation - News from Aug. 18, 1988

The Old Order Amish sect, whose members shun virtually all trappings of secular society, will not be required to display orange reflective triangles on their traditional black horse-drawn carriages, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled. The three defendants in the case were ticketed in October, 1980, for driving their horse-drawn carriages without a reflector triangle meant to warn automobile drivers of a slow-moving vehicle. All are members of a conservative Amish sect living in Gladwin County. The defendants said their religion forbade them to mount the reflectors because it would mean they were placing their trust in symbols rather than God and would violate their “plain” life style.