I live in a fairly large, fairly populated county. It is divided north and south, and east and west by two of the busiest roads that you will ever travel. Amish are very frequent travelers on both of those roads. I see them attempting things that I would never dream of doing, or more importantly allow my children to do. Yes, children on bicycles can pedal up and down either of these roads. I would not let my children ride a bicycle on them. I also wouldn't let them drive a tractor, or a horse and buggy on them.
It's a fine line you cross, when you tell them they can't travel the way they want to. It's obviously a line that our state legislatures are not willing to cross. Even if the decision was mine alone to make, I'd probably let them go ahead, and do whatever they want to. I just literally can't belive some of the chances I've see them take.
I actually feel bad posting what I am about to type. I have a 10 year old son. He's a pretty good boy. I guess most people feel that way about their children. He's pretty smart, and has a decent amount of common sense. He can drive anything on my place, and rides a horse almost everyday. I would never dream of allowing him on the open road. He doesn't know the rules of driving. He doesn't know what other people are capable of, or how to react if they do endanger his life. The risk is just to great to turn him loose like that.
I rolled a tractor on a public road, when I was 9. It was a little IHC super A. I was in 4th gear going up a steep hill. The tractor started cutting out. I tried to change to a lower gear, and couldn't. When the tractor came to a stop, the breaks wouldn't hold it. Looking back on it, the whole thing was a combination of the tractor being a piece of junk, and my fathers poor judgement. Either way you look at it, my fault, his failt, or the tractors fault. It was a wild ride that I won't forget soon. I should have never been out there in the first place.
