Sun City and free seat belts
 

From the Sunviews, a publication of the Recreation Centers of Sun City, Arizona on March 2016 ->

Many living the Sun City AZ lifestyle take advantage of golf carts as a convenient and affordable mode of transportation, and with the increase in usage, comes an increase of potential incidents. Golf carts are often viewed as harmless recreational vehicles because of their small size and low speed, but it’s important to know that thousands of seriousand sometimes fatal golf cart incidents occur each year.

To enhance golf cart safety in the community,the Retirement Association of Sun City (RCA) will host their final FREE golf cart seat belt program
for Sun City residents on Thursday, March 3, 2016 from 8:00am to 2:00pm at the Sun Bowl. Volunteers from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office,
the Sun City Posse, My Guys Mobile, and RCA will install one seat belt free of charge on the driver’s side (or until seat belts run out). Additional seat
belts are $10 each and will also be installed free of charge.

The hope is that many will take advantage of this important safety program to prevent or reduce injuries to our own golf cart users. Always buckle up for safety – someone needs you!

Founded in 1975 with the goal of “keeping Sun City unincorporated,” the focus of the RCA is supporting and promoting safety. In addition to free seat belt installation events, RCA also provides installation of smoke detectors for homes and pet decals for emergency information.
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Is this something that would be possible to do in The Villages? Although the Villages is much larger than Sun City, is there an entity or groups that could do this here?

$10 for seat belts! I'll take four at that price.

Thanks, but I'll stick with paying $65 for our seatbelts, heat indexes of 105+ this summer and the beauty of The Villages to have cheaper golf. We looked into Sun City Grand & West; golf is real expensive out there.

Another community very similar to ours is also concerned about golf cart safety. I am constantly hearing from Villagers that we don’t want to do things because of the costs. A group in Sun City is addressing these two issues. Is it a good thing to be doing and could we possible be allowed to do something similar in our community? Generosity is a good thing and we do need to address golf cart safety.


P.S. I have no interest in or desire to move to Sun City! :smiley:

It seems like this is a voluntary program in Arizona. I think the issue is that you have proposed mandating seat belts in golf carts. I think that's where people draw the line.

If you can find the post where I have ever personally proposed mandating seat belts, I will buy you lunch! I may have ask the question but did not propose mandating it. And, I am not proposing it now.

And now, back to the question at hand. :wave: Is this a good program to consider doing in The Villages?

If you can afford a golf cart, you can afford 2 seat belts.

No one is stopping you from starting this program. Find yourself a sponsor, or a rich uncle.
Let me know when I can get my cheap/free seat belts............................

Good Lord, TPK provided some interesting information from outside the bubble and is plummeted with negative comments. I just don't get it.

It's not even summer yet and people seem to be cranky when replying to post. I thought the 0P just posting some info about Sun City. Thanks I have friends there and will email to ask if they were crappy seat belts with no buckle. This reminds me of when hospitals offer free child seats, just want to keep children safe. I didn't see any bad posts about car seats for free. But then again it wasn't posted here

Sounds like a worthy project for the POA. It sure would generate a lot of positive publicity.

It appears the Sun City Association is running this program. Perhaps the VHA or POA could step forward. Maybe they could.......

My mother-in-law lived in Sun City West, AZ for several years. We were blown away when we visited it years ago. We'd never run across an active retirement community like that. At the time, the neighboring Sun City seemed to be winding down in terms of how active the general citizenry seemed to be. Towards the end of her stay there, it seemed like the same was happening in Sun City West. The auditorium had closed down and businesses seemed to be moving out. Between the insane heat ("but it's a dry heat!"), the incredible smog, the crazy traffic all around outside SCW and the increasing crime rate, we had no interest in ever living there but didn't know where else to consider.

A few years ago the wife's cousin's told us about visiting The Villages to see an old neighbor. We visited, visited again, came back a third time and bought. Now we're counting down the days until we retire and move there. Can't wait! And we'll be getting seat belts on our golf cart, for sure! Free would be nice but even the aforementioned $65 is a steal if they save your life!

The topic was a community association providing seat belts as a public safety program and whether that might be applicable in The Villages.

A number of personal and off topic replies were deleted.

Please stay on topic.

Moderator

The POA has certainly been a strong advocate of seat belts. However at $10.00 bucks per year membership dues, I doubt they have the financial resources to put on a program of offering free seat belts.

In my non-lawyer opinion, The Villages, or any governmental entity part of The Villages, would not provide a free seat belt program. This might be construed as golf carts or the MMPs are inherently dangerous! The first accident after a Villages sponsored program, The Villages is sued and loses....

Something the POA might do is offer a program to have the seat belts installed at cost. This would encourage folks to have belts installed while saving a few dollars.

BTW, I would not take part of a program like this. We already have seat belts installed in both carts and use them. :-)

I may be wrong, but I thought many moons ago you had suggested that all golf cart retailers in TV should be required to furnish carts with seat belts?

From my original post -> Golf carts as a traveling machine 03/04/2015

The following quotes of mine are from various posting in that thread and are taken out of context. :)

(To have new Village Golf Car show rooms and service centers in Lake Sumter and Brownwood is great. But why don’t they rent golf carts equipped with seat belts and set a safety example for everyone? .......

For an improvement in golf carts safety in the Villages, this would seem like a small, easy first step to take. Maybe this issue has already been discussed by the powers to be. If so, I wish they would revisit all safety concerns and reconsider installing seat belts in their rental golf carts. If you know them, please pass these thoughts along for their consideration.........

Now, do you believe that seat belts should be made available on rental carts as an option (not required equipment)? If the cart safety video stresses wearing seat belts and other believe it is a good thing, then why not make them available on rental carts? .........)

So, I never said that “all golf cart retailers in TV should be required to furnish carts with seat belts?” Nevertheless, when I return in six months I will be happy to take you to lunch to discuss what I missed in TV land.

Seat belts can be installed in The Villages for those who want them.


Most people who live here can afford to do so if they want them.

As the demographics of Sun City would be similar to The Villages, I ask myself why they have this program. Maybe, they want to leave no stone unturned to encourage people to install seat belts. Should we feel this same way about safety in our community?

A call to Sun City would give the answer. Please let us know what they say.

I think that if any villager wanted to have seat belt's installed they have the means to do so. You feel that seat belts always make golf cart riding safer. Most people agree but not all people agree. In a way it is like getting a flu shot.


I think that each should decide on their own. I believe that if seat belts were installed in every golf cart there would still be accidents that cause death because there is no protection from running into things or things running into you with no sides to a golf cart.


I would say that every person living here has the means and the opportunity to have seat belts installed. It does not have to be subsidized by any agency. If folks are lacking funds, I question why they would choose a place that charges an extra amenity fee. Also owning a golf cart is not required, it is a choice.

Gracie: Again a very sensible approach. The idea (I think) behind the Sun City Association safety belt program was to "encourage" safety as most of those folks (like folks in TV) could afford safety belts too.

I agree!

Our friends said its not about money, it was about trying to make the population safer. Going to one spot, getting installed. She said they are not as blessed as we are with having as many drive up Gordon's garages to get things done. They also have a reflection vest group that come in for walkers and runners.

Thank you Asianthree. That is a valid point. Thank you JustJim. It helps to be reminded that my view is NOT the only one. Sometimes I can be very stubborn and narrow minded.

In addition to owning a golf cart, I have a scooter. Can I get a free helmet? In fact, can we start a "free" helmet program for all of the motorcycle and scooter operators here?

Just like a developer friend, I don't have to tell anyone why. It's all business, fun, or what ever. :icon_wink:

However, if you like to read everything it's all here -> https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...achine-145930/

"Good Lord, TPK provided some interesting information from outside the bubble and is plummeted with negative comments. I just don't get it."

:BigApplause:

I'll take two helmets, please.

I agree, like someone else said he paid $65. to have his installed & that's OK, but just like about everything else here services take advanage of everything here because they know people will pay it. Life is very good here but everytime we find a good deal somewhere some service in The Villages will jump in & charge just a little more because they know this is a retirement community & a lot of us never had to do anything, so they'll pay whatever! I not trying to be a prude but service had ought to be meeting everyone else's price not jacking them up. Boy, us elderly are everyone else's bank account!:posting:

What? If you don't want to pay the going rate...............don't pay.

Affluence does not necessarily correlate with common sense.
As a former boater I can attest to that.

It’s all about a concern for everyone's safety. If an organization provides seatbelts at a low cost or free to encourage everyone to install seatbelts, people are going to complain about it in TV? As a long time Rotarian, Rotarians always try to help the local community even to the point of giving away things for free if needed. An organization in Sun City felt that it was appropriate to do so. But, it shouldn’t be done here? Let's try to think positive once in a while.

Neither does poverty. I don't own a boat, never did.

I agree too!

Alright. Who would you like to do this? Isn't there a Rotary Club here? Maybe join a Garden Club and promote this idea in the public interest, or a golf group, or the model airplane group? Or start a group in your home for this purpose and have bake sales and encourage donations to offer low cost seat belts to the community.


Wasn't it the Rotary Club that was selling Luminaria at Christmastime?

Ah yes, here we are; Rotary Club of The Villages

You will find that almost every villager gives time, donates regularly to all kinds of public spirited and philanthropic groups. Most villages support the backpack programs for public schools and volunteer time at all sorts of places for the greater good. You will find a lot of people to help you do this. I will give a donation and will bake something.

It’s not my call. I am trying to pointing out what I thought was a good program in another community that might be applicable in TV. As there are many good people in TV, some might be interested in doing something similar in TV.

yep great idea, but when asked to help accomplish it suddenly its not anyone's call....

While this particular program may not be implemented, I have meet many in TV who do great things and am hopeful that will continue to be the case.

Owned a boat on the Fox Chain with 53,000 others. Truer words were never spoken.

As far as seat belts in carts go I remember the resistance to them in cars. The main objection was that they felt it was better to be ejected from the car. Where was common sense then?