Seat Belts Again
 

After the most recent golf cart accident, it appears as if seat belts saved some lives. If this has prompted anyone to install seatbelts, I reccoment Bill Colgan. He did both of our Club Cars and is reasonability priced.

Bill specializes in Yahamas and Club Cars. Give him a call at 352-280-0141. He will come to your home to install. Takes about 30 minutes!

Two people were in the golf cart, bot were wearing seat belts. One died on sustained serious injuries. I don't know that I would conclude that a seatbelt saved any lives in this instance.

That was more severe than most accidents. I would have to check, but I would think that most golf cart accidents are things like hitting the curb, a cart turns too quickly and the passenger falls out, one cart hits another etc.

I have seat belts on our carts, if nothing else, at least they'll find the bodies.

Just because someone died in an accident and was wearing a seat belt doesn't mean seatbelts don't work for any accidents. Do what you want, but you're chances WITH a seat belt are much in your favor just as in your car.
This cart was t-boned by a van on the drivers side. The seatbelt will help in situations where you can be thrown out of the cart. In this case the driver was hit directly by the van on the drivers side.

With all the crazy drivers here in the Villages (not you of course) one could easily get bumped in a parking lot or just going down the road. If that happens the chances are you will go flying out of the cart resulting in some type of injury. It does not matter who's fault it is the end result will be the same. Seat belts are a good idea. I don't have them on the front seats but do on the rear seat. I will be getting them in the front too.

If you make a left turn from the cart lane, you need to be driving a tank. Seat belts don't give you the right to make that turn.

I agree that in the accident on Odell, the driver took the brunt of the force of impact directly to his left side. It is very possible if not probable that the passenger was spared from being thrown to the pavement because she was wearing a seat/shoulder restraint. I wish her well in her recovery.
For us, the choice to install seatbelts and use them was the right thing to do. It is of course a choice.

The real issue involved with the most recent golf cart death proves once again that GOLF CARTS do not belong on the roadway with motor vehicles.

I will never understand why people spend the extra money to have a cart be street legal...meaning insurance and registration....to go 5 miles per hour faster....and expose ones self to significantly more danger.

Golf carts designed for the rigors of the golf course....nothing more. The law was stretched by adding lights and turn signals, etc to drive aftem on the MMP after dark.

To stretch that minimal golf course design to allow travel among vehicles that outweigh, out run and over run a golf cart with EASE......just makes one wonder how it was allowed and why some would expose themselves to the significant dangers.

I consider adding seat belts to our cart one of our best investments - especially for $129 the set.

I hate to be "that guy". But as a bike rider I think a bike helmet is just as essential. I know it saved me a concussion last year when I accidentally got my legs tumbled up in a bike trailer, fell down backwards and cracked the back of my head.
Remember our Dad's use to say "a word to the wise is sufficient?" I'll bet they got that from some WWII drill Sargent.

I agree "Tis a puzzlement"

Seat Belts Again
 

I understand completely. I gave up riding when I almost got killed in Miami.

Bill did both of our carts. I worked enough accidents in my career to know that seatbelts do save SOME lives. But, wearing seatbelts shouldn't give people a superman complex to drive foolishly or recklessly. This was an accident that could have been easily prevented if not for the cart drivers inattentiveness.

As much as we all hate to admit, it appears you are absolutely correct.

I agree, since this a golf cart community there should be parking lots built outside TV and all motor vehicles required to part out there.....:). The driver made a fatal mistake and that is sad on many levels, but his choice to drive a cart was his choice, as it is for 60,000 of us. Since you don't drive a cart, please don't pontificate to those of us that do. We make choices for us, as you make choices for you.

Where was it stated I do not drive a goff cart? It isn't ! And I do!
My commentary was not pontificating at all. There was no intent, not even a thought about challenging anyone's decision to drive where they want, when or how.
I fully support to each his/her own.
It does not mean I have to agree.

Seat belts are like chicken soup. They may not help but thry won't hurt.

I understood what you meant and was surprised when Jomar said what he said.


I think that someone lost their life and we are once again reminded of a lot of very sad facts about life being precious.....and far shorter than it used to be.




Please everyone drive very carefully. We are getting crowded and a lot of new folks are driving carts and a lot of new folks are driving our roadways and well we are older, some of us a lot older.

I'm not against seat belts. In fact I would agree that they are probably very useful when hitting a curb, taking turns too fast or getting "bumped" by another vehicle.

I think that it's a stretch however when people see an accident like this and jump to the conclusion that a seat belt saved anyone's life. I think that the woman is probably alive because she was cushioned from the impact by her husband's body. And don't forget, she is very seriously injured.

I think that in bad collisions it's probably 50/50 whether or not a seat belt will help or not. If a cart gets hit by a car or truck and is dragged for a distance a person might be better off being thrown from the cart. There are circumstances where remaining in the cart might cause further injuries.

Still, I am probably going to install seat belts.

Maybe "street legal" golf carts should be banned?

Street legal golf carts were created because of the LSV statutes. LSV came into being to promote clean energy electric vehicles. Notice that there are no gasoline powered street legal golf carts. A few years ago, the federal government was basically paying for the price of these LSVs through alternative energy rebates. After some bad publicity, the feds changed the rebate program to a much smaller/reasonable rebate (10% of purchase price, I think). Now, I think, the rebate excludes "golf carts". But, the LSV statutes are still on the books, so manufacturers are still building them.

But there are gas powered street legal carts. Or maybe I have the semantics wrong.
If there is a difference in an LSV and a gas powered street legal cart?

LOW SPEED VEHICLES (LSVs) Q&A #8
What is the difference between a golf cart and a Low Speed Vehicle?

Primarily, a golf cart is designed with a top speed of twenty miles per hour or less, while a Low Speed Vehicle is defined as a four wheeled electric vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 mph, but less than 25 mph. Golf carts that can go over 20 mph because of their original equipment or due to post-sale modifications are considered LSVs. Golf Cart and LSV Questions & Answers - Golf Cart Safety

seems like it can be either gas or electric

street legal carts are safer than golf carts. ie....4 wheel hydraulic brakes/shatterproof windshield,emergency brake,wipers,heavier frame and rollbars.seat belts,heavier suspension etc etc etc

But still no match against all other street/roadway vehicles.

I agree with you. You really don't get much for your money especially when it comes to safety in a golf cart. But it is safer than a bike.

No wipers
 

I think you are exactly correct. However, I see many Street Legal carts that do not have windshield wipers. Perhaps an exception for The Villages? Perhaps "they" made other exceptions too.

Since a Street Legal is suppose to go only 25mph, it's seems very dangerous to me on a road with 35mph speed limit. I would not want a car/truck to run into the back of me because I was going much slower than the traffic. :MOJE_whot:

Same can be said for those who drive their cars at 25 mph

Number 1 cause of golf cart fatalities in The Villages - The Tee Time system

Are you thinking of GEM cars in particular?
This seems like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?

2015 GEM e2 Electric Passenger Vehicle : Features

that's a better deal than a golf cart for the same money for sure!

Did you look at the specs?
http://polaris.hs.llnwd.net/o40/lev/...ecsheet-e2.pdf

Cool vehicle, but the range sucks.

You don't have to have 4 wheel hydraulic brakes, emergency brake, wipers, heavier frame, rollbars, or heavier suspension to have a street legal cart.

35 miles is not enough from here to there in TV? The GEM's are special because their charge is on board [I think]. So if you go to a friends house, and feeling a little "undercharged" you could plug it in.

I never allow my gas vehicle to go below 3/4. It's an OCD thing, I'd freak out seeing a low battery warning light. Such is my life.

I just bought a new cart. The dealer did not push for seat belts in fact his tone and manner left me with the impression that he was not impressed with them as a safety feature....nor am I. I am more inclined to believe a 3 point system is much better than just a lap belt.

In any event my wife would feel more secure and so I had the dealer add seat belts...seat belts that she actually uses.

As to accident in general and the accident which created this thread in particular let me say this.

Call it fate. call it a miracle. call it luck but I inspected wrecked vehicles for many years. Some so twisted you can't tell their cars but just a hunk of metal and people walked away without a scratch. Some hardly damaged and a person or people died.

I've investigated accidents were people were thrown from their cars and died from the impact and some but for the fact that they were thrown from the vehicle and not still in it that would have been crushed like a bug and again walked away without a scratch. I've seen some folks with seat belts on that faced death and were glad they had their seat belts on and some who were injured because they had worn seat belts..One guy whose tractor trailer overturned was hanging by his seat belt and because of that damaged his spin and was totally paralyzed

tomberlin also has on board charger

The two fatal accidents in the past year or so did not involve street legal carts.

Why the suggestion to ban them?

And heavier suspension, four wheel brakes, windshield wipers and all the rest won't help if the driver turns into an oncoming car.

Par Car also has an on board charger.....range used so far is 60 miles on a charge with plenty left. I will not do 60 ever again.....still questioning why I did it the first time.