[sswitenki]

are there classes available somewhere to teach newbies how to drive golf cars in Villages. We have never had a golf car before and everyone zooms around like crazy. Are rules somewhere as to right of way, where golf cars can be driven or not, etc. a class would be ideal.
Any advise for training appreciated. I am sure it sounds silly to the experienced but training a newbie will help everyone in the long run. 😉

[John_W]

Florida laws have two important sections. You must be 14 or older to operate a golf cart and your golf cannot go faster than 19.9 mph or it's no longer considered a golf cart. So you will never receive a speeding ticket, it will be an unregistered vehicle ticket, which is much more expensive, you'll need to appear in court in Bushnell and you'll need to bring a letter from a mechanic that your cart's speed has been dialed back. If you show up in court wearing shorts, your case will be pushed back to the end of the day, about 4:30 even through you might be there at 10am, and you'll spend about $450. Even with all of this, about 40% of the carts have been sped up by their owner. In this case, get a speedometer. The one advantage they have is the police will generally only patrol streets with a golf cart lane on the side, such as Bailey Trail by Cane Garden. That's a popular area for radar and you're on a public street, so the law pervails. On the multi-modal paths (MMP) they almost never give out a ticket for speed because it is private property. However, police will give out tickets for an open container of alcohol just like in a car.

As far as driving a cart, it handles much like a car and at speeds of 19mph it's fairly easy to handle. Don't go anywhere that signs say "no carts beyond this point". Stay in your golf cart lanes, merge left into the car lane after signaling with both your hand and turn signal if making a left turn. On the multi-modal paths stay right, stay 3' away from bicycles, slow down for pedestrians. Common sense is the most important part. Driving through your local community is the quickest way to learn your way. Expand your distance and you'll learn the way just like driving your car in your hometown.

[Bogie Shooter]

Golf Cart Safety Clinics are available and are sponsored by The Villages Homeowners’ Association and The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. For information on dates and times of one of these Golf Cart Safety Clinics, go to Home Page - The VHA under the subsection “The Villages Voice.”
As of September, 2012 Golf Cart Safety Clinics are held in conjunction with representatives of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office on the third Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at the Savannah Center. The Clinics last for 1 ½ hours generally. For more information, contact Jay Tolan at 750-5368 or at The Villages Homeowners’ Association, 1104 Main Street, The Villages, FL 32159.

[pqrstar]

Originally Posted by sswitenki

are there classes available somewhere to teach newbies how to drive golf cars in Villages. . 😉

Found this sponsored by the Villages Home Owners Advocates

The Golf cart Safety Clinic is held at the Colony Recreation Center at 9:00 AM on the third (3rd) Wednesday Morning of each month.

They also have a website with a 20 min. educational video
Golf Cart Safety - The VHA