Sumter county golf cart citations 8/1-10/11
 

Received this from a person who was at the meeting.


I just came from a District 6 meeting at which the Sumter County Sherriff’s Dept. presented the golf cart citations issued between Aug 11th and Oct 11th. There were 64 citations in all, 9 for Ran Stop Sign, 1 for Possession of Open Container – Driver, and 56 for No Motor Vehicle Registration. The No Motor Vehicle Registration meant that the non-street legal golf cart was operated in excess of 20mph while on public road – path portion or otherwise. The citation requires a court appearance. In general, offenders are required to demonstrate to the judge that repairs have been made to limit the cart’s speed to 20mph and pay court costs of $250. At the judge’s discretion, the several hundred dollar fine is waived.



Drive safely

I am delighted to hear the above. I have been under the impression golf carts were somehow immune from traffic citations. This is one time I am glad to be wrong.

The 56 No Motor Vehicle Registration paid to have their carts "souped up" and now they must pay to have them restored to meet the 20 MPH rule. How ironic is that? On top of the $250 fine it looks like some serious $$$$ are involved.

The word must be getting out. I find fewer carts passing me lately.

"Big Brother is watching!!" Sounds like the police are getting real serious!

Wonder how a citation works for an individual operating a rented cart?

Bill

Most rented carts will not go over the speed limit I don't think.

B

It ends up depending on where you rent it. If you get one from The Villages Golf Car Store(s), for example, they are indeed on the slower end - box-stock straight from Yamaha. But if you get one elsewhere (from other businesses/individuals), many are set up to run faster.

Bill

Then I should think that the operator not the owner of the cart is at risk for knowingly exceeding the speed limit. Just mho..........Get-em Danno

:police: Wooooooooo-wooooooooo...... "Yonta pull it on ovah there? Y'all ain't from around here, ah ya....boy??? Hands on the hood, son - feet back and spread 'em!!" :laugh:

Bill

I am delighted that citations are being given to those who break the law in their golf cart. Too many people treat them as special allowance vehicles or toys and rev up the motors or whatever to go greater mileage. Too bad that they have to pay a ticket!! I am once again, delighted to hear the police are getting busy with this. The operator should be ticketed also if they don't own the cart especially if the engine has been messed with.

That was not necessary :boom:

Fran:

Haven't seen you post lately - welcome back!


Chuck

Sorry - just joking around.....................:wave:

Bill

How fast are these carts going? I hope they are not being stopped for 2 mph over. No sane cop would stop a car for 2 mph over. Would they?

Yoda

You are going to stand out if you are passing other golf carts. Seems like easy pickings for the cops.

Thanks for the info BogieShooter. Like I have said in another thread, I think this is a good thing for the community in general. I hope it curtails some of the aggressive driving I see (tailgating and passing carts that are going 20 MPH) more than nabbing the folks going 22 MPH.

Sunday I saw some police activity focused on my cart on my way to Gator's Dockside.

I rolled (<1 MPH, but no stop) through the stop sign at the beginning of the cart path on Morse, headed north, at 466 gate. I must admit I roll stop through that sign alot. Ahead I see a police car with officer inside. I thought to myself, :censored: I have just been reading about this. As I rode by he seemed to be oblivious to me.

I proceeded up Morse on a wide open rode and within a minute I see a police car behind me. I do not know if it was the same one, but it was going the same speed as me. I looked down and was going 23 MPH. :censored: I thought again. Instinctually I slowed a bit to 22, then 21, then 20.5. He followed me for what seemed to be an hour, but it was more like 30 seconds and then sped by.

Maybe I got lucky or maybe they do not care so much about folks doing 22-23, but I will take it as lucky and keep an eye on my speed.

Any cart rental company that rents carts that can exceed 19mph should be forced to rectify this.

The majority of people renting these carts are out-of-towners renting homes in TV. As such, these people would not know about the 19mph rule and when they cited for “unregistered vehicle” they were most likely driving well under the posted speed limit, which is 30-35 mph.

A lot of rental carts come from private individuals who have started a cottage industry. Renters should be aware. They should not only ask about speed alteration, but also insurance. My bet is that these private renters have no insurance to cover them.

But then, renters probably wouldn't know to ask, would they.

JLK

Not only do the private renters not have insurance. The Villages cart shop only insures for theft of their cart.

Golf cart
 

The other day I was over by the new villages golf cart shop in SS. These guys came out from renting two carts. Off they go. I was a short ways behind them . The 2nd cart passes the first pulls in front of the other cart goes thru a puddle from the sprinklers hits the brakes slides bounces off the curb and rolls the cart. Now that's a rental that we know goes slow. Thank goodness he wasn't hurt but they thought it was a big joke. Picked the cart up put the pieces back in and off they went.

we do!

I have been told by friends making the lifestyle visit that the carts issued to them won't even APPROACH the speed limit.

An Alternative
 

Perhaps the Sumter County Sheriff could make better use of his apparently excess Deputy force by doing a more regular and thorough job of enforcing the vehicular speed limits on El Camino real and Buena Vista where cars regularly fly by at 45-50 MPH in a 35 MPH speed zone.

Husbandish was just researching insurances and spoke to one agent (AAA) who said you don't even want to pay for a street legal cart, that the insurance rate is extremely high. These carts, whether street legal or not, are not equipped with safety things to go up against a fast crash or crash with another vehicle. As someone said, it's not a toy.

I have never seen a rental cart with a speedometer. How will the drivers know how fast they are going? I have a speedometer on my cart, installed by fellow villager Bob Sain ( who has an advertisement on this site ) He does an excellent job at your home and includes a nite light that goes on with your headlights. He also calibrates your tires and checks your speed with his GPS to make certain of speed accuracy. He was the lowest priced that I researched and he did an excellent job. Look for his ad and give him a call.

Well since the crackdown seems to be in effect for speed and other golf cart infractions, may I make a minor suggestion before the coming holiday's......

Think twice....or 3 times before letting your 13yr and under, and old grandchild drive the golf car and perhaps even consider a drivers license as a necessity for those 14 and over.

I'm going to bet that will be the next crackdown and as it should before somebody gets killed or hurt, and grandma loses their home in the coming lawsuit.

When we were there last month, I told my wife that I truly believe my riding lawnmower would go faster.

Or even a push mower...... :smiley:

Bill

The gas Yamaha Drive specification on the Yamaha site says the standard new gas model goes 15 MPH. That is the model we were provided on our Lifestyle Preview visit, and you felt like the whole world was lining up behind you as you drove the cart paths. If and when we do a second preview visit, I plan to forego the "free" cart and rent one that goes the speed limit. The five MPH difference is huge, and is even worse when you consider how many souped up carts are out there doing 25 MPH and more.

Shirleevee - I just sent you a PM.

Bill

Last winter I was out doing my nightly ride with Caly (dog). I came across a couple on Buena Vista that had that glazed over look folks get when first trying to get around TV in a cart. They were on the wrong side of Buena Vista facing the wrong way headed to Cane. Instead of trying to explain, I said, follow me.

I went through tunnel under Buena Vista and up to stop sign on Bailey Trail. Off we went, I look back in mirror and they are disappearing. I look at my speedometer and I am going 18 MPH. I slowed down to 13 before the started to catch up a little.

I pulled into Cane and asked if they neded help with their cart. They laughed and explained it was a rental they were using while looking to buy a house.

Maybe just me, but riding around in that cart would definitely affect my fun meter :)

Crackdown on speeding Carts?
 

Now that the police are cracking down on speeding golf carts, I feel sooooooo
much safer. Excuse me, but the only thing I see accomplished is about $14,000 in the county coffer's. It didn't rid us of the underage driver's, the people with small children on their laps while driving, the towels covering the rear tail lights, too many bodies in a 2 passenger cart, failing to signal turns, turning left from the far right hand lane and on and on. The reason I am so cynical is due to the police power being used while we continue to see homes being burglarized, articles being stolen from carts in broad daylight, autos left in driveways in the evening being broken into, golf courses being vandalized, etc. Those of you who get so worked up at carts passing you, probably fear they will get an open parking spot at the square, or, worse yet, a chair at the square that you might have gotten if the line of carts would just stay behind you. You are the cart going 16 mph, but you are safer??? Maybe they just had to get to the 2 for 1 before it closed. Sorry, I do not see carts that go 5 mph over the speed limit as a major problem, nor the value in the appropriation of police manpower.

I have been thinking about underage kids driving and all of the other infractions as I read these posts. I hope this might be the start of a crackdown - maybe I'm dreaming.

Boy Howdy.

I don't know if our fun wagon goes over the speed limit or not, but I really don't know where the reference to homes burglarized, autos being broken into (They caught that guy last week who broke into an auto or autos and paint balled cars etc.) and golf courses vandalized comes from.. I read this forum night and day, knowing I will get the info here that the Daily Fun leaves out, but I don't think we are having a problem right now with the other things. Correct me if I am wrong.

Is it just me ???
 

Here's what I find interesting in reading the posts on this thread. If I look at the average age thread, 65% of those that responded are between the ages of 55 and 64...this is MY GENERATION... This is the same generation that went to Woodstock, drove hot Cameros and Mustangs, drag raced down main street and some might have even tried the pharmaceuticals along the way :p What happened ????

Now, we seem to think that a golf cart going 25 MPH is a huge hazard and we feel so much better that the Sheriff's Dept. is out in full force handing out citations. There seems to be so much drama, always citing the worse case scenario... ie. someone is going to get killed... loose their home and life savings, etc....

Sorry, I just don't get it :shrug:

:popcorn: Interesting stuff!

Bill

Well folks. For all of you who are so concerned about golf cart speeds and potential accidents and injuries, I have one piece of advice for you. Pick up the phone right now and call your golf cart dealer or technician and make an appointment to have three point seat belts installed in your cart and always use them, and I do mean always.

Because, if you think you can be in a golf cart collision going even 19 or 20mph without a seat belt and not be seriously injured, you are seriously mistaken.

End of story.

I thought I dispense some information about seat belts. I will admit that I should be the last one to talk about this subject but my 2 cents worth will follow.

According to the AAA instructor of a safety driving course, "in CT, the number one ticket that is given out is people not wearing their seat belts".

I have always worn my sealt belt since I read an article that stated there is a great number of people who get hurt in an accident doing 25 MPH or less. The same article said most people are in accidents close to their home and lamented about how some people will not wear their sealt belts because "I'm only going to the store that is a couple of blocks away.

A police officer who taught a driver safety course said, "I have never unbuckled a dead man".

I don't know if they are required in a golf cart but people can get seriously hurt even while going slow if the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop. Many years ago before seat belts, I have witnessed an erderly man hurt his head on a windshield doing less than 25 MPH, (blood everywhere).

I am thankful I have survived my adventures in driving and tend to follow the rules more carefully. Hopefully, I have gotten smarter.

I don't know why I have gotten worked up about this subject as GOD knows I have not been an angel but the thought has entered my mind that HE might make me one if I don't smarten up.

I'm sorry if this sounds like I am preaching to the choir but that is not my intent, just MHO.

I'll probably get a ticket after posting this. :yuck:

Where did this rant come from?

Just another opinion. Isn't that just like FREE SPEECH??

For visitors renting their carts from someone other than the "official" Villages cart shop...

How are we supposed to know that we're speeding, when there's no speedometer? I rented an official cart, and it seemed like I was going a little faster downhill than on flat land or uphill, but I had absolutely no idea how fast it was. I -assumed- it was 20 or under, but there's no way of knowing.

Are drivers really supposed to be held responsible for the speed of a rental, if the cart (like most carts) doesn't have a speedometer to let them know how fast they're going? That seems a bit - off.

EdVinMass

You make statements as if you are an authority on the subject....Are you? If not, why then does law enforcement not make the same recommendation as you!!