[Talk Host]

When you are inclined to let your grandchildren drive your golf cart or even when they ride with you.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story...130834&catid=8

[memason]

That's a tough reminder!

Why are there no seat belts in golf carts? I know it's not necessary on a golf course, but seems to make sense for golf carts that are traveling the streets or cart paths. Are seat belts an option you can installed? Anyone have seat belts ?

[gary42651]

I agree with memason and feel there should be seat belts in the carts, and have just added them to my cart. The Villages Golf Cart store did the job along with some other extras, and I`m still waiting for the bill. but I`m sure they can give you a quote.

[spk7951]

I think that street legal golf carts are required to have seat belts.

I spent a number of years as a firefighter and responded to numerous auto accidents. It was very common to see more injuries to those occupants not wearing a seat belt. But when it comes to the golf carts I am not convinced of the need for seat belts. Problem for me is that when we were in an accident last year my wife's injuries were worse than mine because she was driving and stayed in the cart while I was thrown out and landed in some bushes. I am certain that if we had seat belts on we both would have suffered worse injuries than we did. Then again that is just my opinion.

[mike barkley]

Originally Posted by memason

That's a tough reminder!

Why are there no seat belts in golf carts? I know it's not necessary on a golf course, but seems to make sense for golf carts that are traveling the streets or cart paths. Are seat belts an option you can installed? Anyone have seat belts ?

i have a tomberlin and it has seatbelts plus the best brakes you will ever encounter. of course as some on here are always saying......... its a piece of junk from china!!!!!!

[bkcunningham1]

Thanks for the reminder. Such a sad, sad accident. The little girl and two other neighborhood children were passengers in the cart which was being driven by the 6 year old's 17-year-old sister. They hit a bump in the road and the six year old fell out and hit her head.

My prayers go out to the family of this little girl. I would never, ever, ever try to judge the wisdom of the parents of these kids. I'm sure the parents have used hindsight and tried to second guess every second of the day that led up to the accident. The father of the little girl who died said he's now an advocate for mandatory seatbelts in golf carts.

Like TH said, it is a reminder to adults of the rules and regulations and wisdom we should use when dealing with teens and young ones in our lives. Sadly, accidents happen despite all the best intentions in the world. Even with seatbelts, often times there are deaths in automobile and golf carts.

The original intent of golf carts was for golf courses. Seatbelts wouldn't make much sense when being used in this conventional method. But with the growing number of golf course communities, golf carts are driven for transportaion. This has made many localities classify many golf carts as LSV and not they are not regulated by the federal seat belt laws or driver's license laws.

Like gary42651 said, seatbelts are options in golfcarts. If you want to use them, they are available.

Sadly, accidents happen despite all the best intentions in the world.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tbo...&pid=142297391

[memason]

SPK7951...you were the lucky one! The reason I believe seat belts might be beneficial is not to protect you in a crash, but to keep you in the cart, during an evasive maneuver. I know when we visited last year, my wife almost fell out of the cart several times, when I abruptly changed directions. The passenger is not always paying attention to traffic and can be caught off guard.

I'm not a safety freak, but having some safety device to prevent the passenger from being thrown from the cart seems a prudent measure...

[otherbruddaDarrell]

Originally Posted by memason

SPK7951...you were the lucky one! The reason I believe seat belts might be beneficial is not to protect you in a crash, but to keep you in the cart, during an evasive maneuver. I know when we visited last year, my wife almost fell out of the cart several times, when I abruptly changed directions. The passenger is not always paying attention to traffic and can be caught off guard.

I'm not a safety freak, but having some safety device to prevent the passenger from being thrown from the cart seems a prudent measure...

Not trying to come off as a jerk, but why did you abruptly change directions?
If I see that I am about to miss the turn I was looking for it is no big deal to turn around somewhere and go back.
I do agree that if a person wants to have a seatbelt they should have them installed.
I put one in my motorcycle sidecar for when I had a child ride in it and it also kept them seated. Was it a requirement? No, but I wanted it so I put one in.
Keeping them as optional for golf carts is the way to go.

[memason]

Valid question, Darrell.... Maybe "abrupt" is too strong a word, but stuff happens, when you're driving on carts paths or streets. I just think some sort of safety device; seat belt or whatever, isn't a bad idea.

Heck, I've almost throw her out of the cart on the golf course, especially when she's beating me..

[EdV]

My cart has three point belts and I always use them and require my passengers to buckle up too. No clicky, no ridey.

But remember that Florida is a state that doesn’t even require motorcycle helmets and the majority of bikers don’t wear them even though they’re barreling down the road at 50 or 60 miles an hour.

[Ohiogirl]

I kind of think seat belts should be required in rear-facing 3rd and 4th seats in golf carts, optional in front-facing seats, but recommended except when playing golf. The rear-facing passengers don't usually have a chance to brace themselves when something comes along to cause the driver to brake or turn.

I fell out once on a golf course when my ex-husband made a fairly sharp turn coming over a hill - I didn't know he was going to do that and executed, luckily for me (maybe not for him ) a perfect tuck roll over my right shoulder.

We (me and my SO, not the ex) just got back from TV, looked at golf carts to figure out what we want when we move down this fall and expect to buy a 2nd cart. For us, a 4 seater will be the 2nd cart choice, strongly leaning toward the Polaris Breeze. Even when the 2 (so far) grandkids visit, I would probably only put one in each seat along with an adult. Wouldn't trust little ones not to unbuckle it. As a rider and not the driver in the front seat, I felt safer being buckled up. The salesman told us most golf cart injuries in TV result from ejections, not from collisions.

As an aside, after I saw a post in one of the golf cart threads about gas cart emissions being 7 times greater than from cars, we are rethinking the need for a gas cart, at least if we are a 2-cart household. Think we will keep our current elec Club Car and add the Polaris. Probably will have another dedicated outlet put in, if research leads us to believe it's necessary or at least advised. An electricians or maybe ********* know the anser to this one?

[spk7951]

Originally Posted by memason

SPK7951...you were the lucky one! The reason I believe seat belts might be beneficial is not to protect you in a crash, but to keep you in the cart, during an evasive maneuver. I know when we visited last year, my wife almost fell out of the cart several times, when I abruptly changed directions. The passenger is not always paying attention to traffic and can be caught off guard.

I'm not a safety freak, but having some safety device to prevent the passenger from being thrown from the cart seems a prudent measure...

Yes I was the lucky one. Since ejection is the primary reason folks get hurt in a golf cart accident I agree that belts would be helpful. Unfortunately our accident was a hit broadside and if we both had belts on we undoubtedly would have bumped heads since the seating is so close in carts and that most likely would have lead to worse injuries. Hence my apprehension regarding golf cart seat belts.