Golf Cart Safety Blog

Reprinted with permission from the Property Owners Association of The Villages monthly Bulletin "We have had two more golf cart related fatalities in the last month. Like all of the other fatalities the golf cart occupants WERE NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT and were thrown/ejected from the cart at impact. In the latest crash the victims were doing everything right - they were not drinking, speeding, etc., but merely using the cart as a legal means of transportation, but they were not using seat belts. Please note that there have been at least EIGHTEEN golf cart related FATALITIES in The Villages in the last eight years, and over three dozen golf cart users who had to be trauma alerted to a hospital with head injuries during the last four years. Each month, starting with the February 2012 POA Bulletin and ending in April, 2014 (you can find all of them at the poa4us.org web page - chick on "archived bulletins"), we have included a listing of all of the accidents (with as much description as we had available) that we were aware of, and identified that almost all of them involved either someone falling out of a cart, or being ejected from the cart onto the pavement. Our message is that we believe you might be safer if you use a seat belt, but the usage of seat belts in golf carts is not require by Florida Statutes so it is your choice". (NOTE - STAR CARTS COME WITH SEATBELTS)

The Bulletin issue 42.03, March, 2016 Reprinted with permission from the Property Owners Association of The Villages monthly Bulletin "Morse Boulevard, north of CR 466, is a perfect example: Keep in mind you might be right, you may have the right of way, but if you are traveling in a golf cart, you are not going to win against an automobile. You are talking about something that weighs less than a 1,000 pounds colliding with something that can weigh 3 - 5,000 pounds. It is a good idea, when on roads like Morse Boulevard to keep in mind that if you see a vehicle passing you with a right turn signal on, in order to protect yourself, slow down and yield to the vehicle. While it is aggravating, the automobile driver shouldn't turn in front of an oncoming golf cart. rather than becoming a statistic, consider yielding to the automobile. Drive defensively. If you are going to make a left hand turn from Morse Boulevard (north of CR 466), use your turn signals AND your arm signals as well, because a lot of the time your golf cart turn signal lights are covered up by golf towels, enclosures, etc. Merge into the turn lane when it is safe to do so, prior to your turn and execute your turn when the oncoming lanes are clear. Keep in mind, you are not only contending with a lane of traffic of vehicles, you are also contending with an oncoming golf cart lane".

Issue 42.03 - March, 2016 Reprinted with permission from the Property Owners Association of The Villages monthly Bulletin. "Golf carts can only operate on roadways where the posted speed limit is 30 MPH or less. LSVs and street legal golf carts can operate on roadways where the posted speed limit is 35 MPH or less. golf carts must use the MMPs where they are provided and they must ride on the far right-hand side edge of the roadway where they are not. NOTE- for all of the "golf cart mechanics" out there: GOLF CARTS CANNOT BE CAPABLE of exceeding 20 MPH. People think that "as long as I'm only doing 20 MPH on the roadways, it's ok if my cart can go faster". That is not what the state law says. The state law actually says your golf cart cannot have the capability of exceeding 20 MPH. so don't think you can travel 20 MPH on the roadways and then get on the golf cart path and go as fast as your cart will go. It is a misdemeanor resulting in a criminal citation if your golf cart can exceed 20 MPH. The citation requires a mandatory court appearance, and it is very expensive. Fines can be up to $500 and the judge can make you prove that the speed capability of the cart has been reduced to 20 MPH max. The SCSD does enforce speeding and stop sign traffic violations on the roadways.

1. Headlamps 2. Front and rear turn signals 3. Taillamps 4. Stop lamps 5. Reflex reflectors, red – one on each side and one on the rear 6. Exterior mirror on the driver side and an interior mirror or exterior mirror on passenger side 7. Parking brake 8. Windshield 9. Seatbelt for each designated seat 10. Vehicle identification number Office of Communications Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 2900 Apalachee Pkwy, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Office (850) 617-2378 Cell (850) 294-3540 www.flhsmv.gov

An all-terrain vehicle is described as being 50 inches or less in width, having a dry weight of 1,200 pounds or less, designed to travel on three or more nonhighway tires, and is manufactured for recreational use by one or more persons. An off-highway motorcycle is any motor vehicle used off the roads or highways of Florida that has a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and is designed to travel with no more than two wheels in contact with the ground, but excludes a tractor or a moped. A motorized recreational off-highway vehicle is 65 inches or less in width, has a dry weight of 2,000 pounds or less, is designed to travel on four or more nonhighway tires and is manufactured for recreational use by one or more persons. Off-highway vehicles are titled but not registered and are not required to be insured with PIP/PDL. Office of Communications Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 2900 Apalachee Pkwy, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Office (850) 617-2378 Cell (850) 294-3540 www.flhsmv.gov