Quote:
Originally Posted by jrref
After some recent reports of golf cart accidents where people were hurt I was thinking about the golf cart and safety since we recently moved to the Villages and were looking for a cart. Normally a golf cart is used on a golf course. No traffic, short slow runs from hole to hole. Because of this, safety is probably not an issue but the Villages has turned the golf cart into a transportation vehicle with all the safety issues even though it's limited to 20 mph. I'm an engineer and when i first came here i was mortified on how some people drive their carts, no seat belts, pretty fast, leg hanging out of the cart, etc.. I don't think most people realize what an impact will do to you even at 20 mph. And of course over the couple of months that we have been here we read about people being thrown from their cart or the cart falls over on them, etc.. For this reason, we felt the Atomic Cool Kart was the best choice for us because it has some safety features that will probably protect you at the speeds it can go when using it as a vehicle here in the Villages and we plan on using it as a 2nd vehicle as well as on the golf course. I haven't done the research but I'm not sure golf cart companies do much in regards to safety beyond what is needed for the traditional use of the cart on the golf course.
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Monday, I turned left onto CR 466 in my car to go play softball. Guess what I encountered? Yep, a golf cart going about 30 MPH westbound on 466. I put on my 4 way flashers and got behind the cart then realized the driver was not even looking. I pulled slowly next to him and shouted that he should not be on 466 and to cross over to the multimodal path. His response, a brush off wave with his left arm as though - mind your own business. You cannot help anyone who will not help themselves! Anyone driving over 20 MPH should be arrested it is not safe. These are golf carts not sports cars. They roll over and people fall out. That is when you really feel it so get seat belts to at least keep you in the cart. One wrong move of the wheel even at 20 MPH can cause a roll over in a cart. Be smart and slow down. But don't worry on Rio Grande Ave. or Chula Vista Ave. because there is no enforcement! My two cents.