Bad cart accident tonight
 

There was a bad cart accident tonight in front of Palmer CC. It appeared that two golf carts
hit head on and a lady was thrown from one of them. It happened right around 7PM. A helicopter landed and took the female away from what we could see. It's 9.38 now and the police are still there.

Re: Bad cart accident tonight
 

Oh, Sam, I'm so sorry to hear that. Often golf cart accidents result in head injuries which can be very serious. I'll definitely say a prayer for the injured woman and vow to drive more defensively.

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I wish seatbelts were required in all carts.
Someone said a golf cart death was reported in todays paper as well. I did not see it.

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It was in today's paper, the person did die, accident was in August, single cart.

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I would be interested to know if the carts involved were regular 19.8 mph rated carts or the higher speed ones. I am a 3 mile a day walker every morning on the multimodal path from Bridgeport to Bonnybrook or to LSL and back. There is not a day goes by that I don't see a near miss because of the higher speed cart trying to get by and mis judging .
I am rather tired of the do nothing, don't upset those that have 'em crowd.....all carts rated above 19.8 mph should be illegal. The owners given a reasonable period to get them retrofitted and within regulation. That will take well above 50% of the accident potential off the road.

BTK

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It does not matter if they are the 19 MPH or higher speed carts. When two carts collide, there is a transfer of energy. The carts stop and the bodies go. Caution is the only answer.

People have to learn that the golf cart is not a toy.

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We came by the accident after the fact tonight. I think we came through about 7:30. Police and Fire were still there. One cart was badly damaged,the whole front was bashed in and the windshield appeared to be completely gone.

Sam...I agree the carts need seat belts.

BTK..I also agree with you...the super charged carts should be banned, to dangerous.

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Tragic. We installed seat belts in our cart--and we use them and insist that our passengers use them as well. But this is only a help; it's not a solution to poor judgment and poor driving....

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Remember when the golf cart seat belt issue was discussed several months ago. There were several "seemingly" knowledgeable people who posited that belts actually increased the danger in golf cart accidents. Don't remember if any consensus was reached or if there were definitive arguments for either side. Naturally most of it was emotion-based postings.

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The thread is here: https://www.talkofthevillages.com/sm....html#msg39196

Yes, some people insisted that they were taught NOT to use belts. Well they may have been told that but your own eyes tell you that not wearing them has its dangers. Some good links about safety in that thread.

My choice: use belts (shoulder belts if possible).

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Head On? On such a wide path? Speed didn't come to mind as much as alcohol???

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Maybe helmet should be required as well as seat belts.

I do not understand why some have to go so fast. :dontknow: I say slow down and enjoy life. Most of us have had to rush all our working lives now is the time to take it easy.

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Slow down yes. But that doesn't mean that a head-on crash at 14MPH is safe. The
damage from a collision happens because of the kinetic energy that must be dissipated. Kinetic energy is proportional to the square of the velocity, so when a cart stops from an initial speed of 20 mph it has more than twice as much energy to dissipate as there would be if the cart were traveling 14 mph. (20^2 divided by 16^2 = 2.04 - this assumes the mass of the carts are the same). That energy has to go somewhere when the cart stops.

Sealt belts for me. I'll risk the rollover entrapment issue!

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We were at the accident last night too....it looked very scary! Several ambulances, police and helicopter! When you see the copter you know it is not good. I did not see anything about this in the paper today though....

There were many people just watching....we asked permission to scoot through as Catherine was with us. She was VERY upset so I didn't want her to see anymore then we already had.

We said our prayers for the lady and anyone else involved. Cat asked the angels to form a circle around the woman we saw so she would be well taken care of...

I did read the article in the paper the other day that spoke of a 60 something year old man...on his golf cart alone....somewhere on Buena Vista....didn't state north or south of 466...he did not collide into any other cart....just flipped his own....scary stuff!

We have a seat belt in the back seat....Cat fell out one time as we were going about 2 mph as the cart jerked a little at start up ....it only took that one time...seat belts were installed immediately!!

Narrow Golf cart path on Morse between LSL and 466
 

I am surprised there has not been a head on crash on the Morse Blvd bridge between LSL and 466. That is a VERY NARROW stretch of golf path and one can easily turn into the barrier and and hit a cart comming in the opposite direction.

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Cassie--there was a picture in the front section--just a comment under picture--no real details. There is a hard right and left turn between the vehicle entrance to Palmer CC and the golf cart tunnel on the way to LSL. Don't know is that is where it happened or not but I have noticed carts taking these turns way too fast. I certainly hope the victim will recover--my thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

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How/where does one go to have seat belts installed? I'd like to get them.

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This is a really tough one to debate. Let me start by saying that I hope everyone involved recovers 100% that really is the most important issue at this point. As far as the speed of golf carts I whole heartedly agree that 19.8mph is a reasonable speed limit. How do we reconcile the fact that my car can go 150mph (or 90mph or 120mph for other cars, you get my drift) but the highest legal limit on any highway is 75mph....GN

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Golfnut

In colorado our speed limit is 75 except in a short area through towns. Benj

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Thanks benj I stand corrected and edited my response, not sure your comment did much to answer my question though.

Re: Bad cart accident tonight
 

Re: Bad cart accident tonight
 

Per law enforcement in Lake, Sumter and Marion County. It is illegal to drive a golf cart that has been modified to go over 20 mph. If you get caught, it will cost you big time.
If you have purchased golf cart insurance, it is void. Read your policy--it says golf cart.
Now read Florida Law as to the definition of a golf cart. Max speed 20 mph.

Re: Bad cart accident tonight
 

you are certainly right about definition of golf cart--if it goes faster--you have to have regular Florida tags and automobile insurance. I have also read that a golf cart brakes are not built to function properly if the speed is more than the 20 MPH. I would like to hear from those who have carts that "might" go over this speed if they addressed this issue.

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Our cart only goes 19.7 MPH.....on a regular basis....however going down hills etc it goes MAX 21.9 mph....that is going down hill and pettle to the metal~!!! I can't imagine gong on the golf cart paths....north of 466...any faster than that...they are narrow and bumpy.....it would also scare the :edit: out of me!!!!

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How can a head on golf cart accident happen? I'm with MnGirl on this one. Does anyone know if alcohol was involved? :dontknow:

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I'm with MnGirl & chelsea24 on this one - how can two carts have a head-on with the trail as wide as it is there? A medical episode or alcohol is all that comes to mind. If anyone finds out, please inform us all.

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Cigarette/Cigar or coffee in the lap, bug in the face - possibilities too. Someone obviously looked away for a time, and likely a very, very brief time.

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I heard that the driver of the golf cart that hit the other golf cart was drunk. He tried to put the blame on his wife, who was taken to the hospital, saying she was the one who was drunk. It seems he wasn't so concerned about his wife as he was about being charged for a DUI.

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So sad and so frightening. Many of us have had too much to drink and got behnd the wheel. I don't do it anymore, and thank heavens nothing bad happened to me, but it could have.

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I say bring back the pillary and put it in Sumter landing for speeders and drunks!! ;D

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It's amazing how even people who are older and presumably wiser turn out to be idiots anyway. That's awful! I feel bad for the people in the other cart.

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My question when the street legal carts are on the golf cart trails they go way to fast to be under control in certain areas. Shouldn't these carts be only allowed on the streets and the streets only.

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I think you are correct about this. I heard he was the driver but claimed she was driving.
I heard alcohol played a huge part in this accident. The lady that was hit lives 3 doors down from me. Her hand is messed up but she seems fine. The wife of the alleged inebriated man
is another subject.

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You hit the nail on the head with this comment. They can go 25mph, too fast for the trails. When they are on the 35mph streets, where plenty of the traffic is going close to 40mph, if not more, they are too slow and create another hazard.

There is not a good reason to have street legal carts around.

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In this instance, his name and crime should be published in our happy paper and his golf cart and/or alcohol privileges revoked. Make an example of him and perhaps others would get the message and behave. :cop:

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When I first moved here they let scooters use the cart paths. I have not seenthat lately but I do agree that the LSVs should drive on the street and not on the cart paths. they are too wide and too fast.

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More on seatbelts for golf carts......When my husband & I attended a golf cart safety course in August, the Sumter County police officer present at the meeting said that it was better for golf carts not to have seat belts because there are less injuries involved when a person is throw clear from the golf cart. Don't know what to believe!!!

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Perhaps someone from the golf cart companies could come do an inservice....also...I have seen several scooters on the golf cart paths on El Camino coming from SS towards Buena Vista....ofcourse I have seen it several times in the last month...could be the same person everytime....haven't paid attention.

Tonight as we were coming home from SS we had an oncoming golf cart that had headlights brighter then any I have seen....this was scary and could have caused a major accident. Luckily we were smart enough to move off the path and pull over....but we shouldn't have to do that!

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We've been told that is what they believe but TVers only need to look at all the bad accidents with injury and ask yourselves "Would the injured (or deceased!) person been better off with a belt?" I'll bet it is almost a unanimous YES. I think the old wisdom stems from golf cart use on the course where there are many more rollovers due to side hills etc. Street use is another issue. On the street you have mostly cart on cart (or cart on car) accidents like the one in this story. I predict that the safety people will change their tune after they analyze the type of accidents within TV.