A Model T Ford Is the Michigan DOT’s Oldest Safety Vehicle

For a good long while, the main users of the paved highways and byways of the U.S. countryside have been cars. The transition from horse and buggy to automobile has not happened for all road users though, and to help ensure the safety of some vehicles that use a little more literal horsepower, the Michigan Department of Transportation has a very interesting tool:

A Model T Ford.

The State Highway Department of Michigan, as the Department of Transportation was initially known, was formed in 1905, a full three years prior to the Model T beginning production and long before the widespread adoption of the automobile. From the get-go, MDOT has been looking out for non-automotive road users, and the Model T makes the perfect tool to aid in that effort because Henry Ford had the T’s track width set to match that of a horse and buggy.

Since the roads at the time were designed to accommodate horse-drawn traffic, it only made sense for the Model T’s tires to fit into the already established paths created by the horses and buggies. Why try to blaze a new trail when you don’t have to?

But roads have since evolved, and the luxury of rapid vehicular transit is afforded to just about anyone with a couple thousand dollars and a pulse. And, of course, those who choose to embrace such modern technology, which is not everyone. Two such cultures that rely on horses and buggies are the Amish and Old Order Mennonites, who both have sizable populations in Michigan.

In order to incorporate the needs of those users in the planning and maintenance of Michigan’s roadways, the DOT heads out in a Model T on routes that see a lot of buggy traffic. The DOT’s staff observes road condition, shoulder width, and any potential safety hazards from the perspective of slower-moving transportation and is more able to effectively address those issues as a result. The team’s primary focus of late has been on Michigan route 91, where multiple crashes involving car and buggy have occurred.

Hopefully the creative use of the Model T—something that seems like old tech to most of us—will foster the improvements needed to keep all road users safe.

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