Cars using the golf cart lanes to pass
 

We’ve been here a year now and haven’t seen this before. But over the past two days it happened several times. Yesterday, we were driving the car on Morse north of 466 and had to stop because the car in front of us wanted to make a left turn. There was a little bit of a wait and next thing I know two cars are passing me on the right using the golf cart lane. When the car in front of me finally made the turn, I started to continue moving forward and found myself abreast of a third car in the cart lane. He wouldn’t yield so I had to stop again so he could pass me.

Today, we were in the golf cart on O’Dell Circle. We were in the roadway waiting for on coming traffic to clear so we could make a left turn. After about a minute or so, a car behind us passed on the right using the golf cart lane. And he was speeding.

Is it legal? What’s the rush?

"FS 316.084 – When Overtaking and Passing on the Right is Permitted

(1) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:

(a) When the vehicle overtaken is making or is about to make a left turn;

(b) Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving traffic in each direction;

(c) Upon a one-way street, or upon a roadway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement, where the roadway is free from obstructions and of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles.

(2) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle on the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. In no event shall such movement be made by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway."

So, yes, it is legal. As to what's the rush, you'd have to ask the other driver. I've had to slam on my brakes in my golf cart to keep from hitting a car using the Morse multi-modal path to pass someone turning left. I've also been passed on the right when turning left onto my street. It's scary and stupid. Some people just have no common sense.

I don't think it's legal. Solid white line...can't pass on the right!! Have found one needs to drive "defensively" here--watching out for both autos and carts! Have heard scarey things ie. people driving while legally blind, taking prescription drugs that inhibit rational thinking and reflexes and more.

I don't think it's legal. That lane is clearly marked as restricted to golf carts and bicycles.

I've never had to drive as defensively since moving here to TV land! Yes, lose your license and voila...you may now drive in a narrow lane next to big motor vehicles who could crash into you any minute while on a cell phone and while driving your little golf cart without seat belt and.....you may be under the influence of your choice and drive from Sumter to Spanish Springs from one happy hour to another. Oh joy of joys! Glad there are so many hospitals around IF you survive! Singing..."OH HAPPY DAYYYYYYY....OH HAPPY DAYYYYY...OH DEAR LORD I'D BETTER PRAYYYYYY....." :beer3:

Lots of info here.

http://flbikelaw.org/2009/12/passing...g-a-bike-lane/

Not sure if it's the same for a golf cart lane. The key thing to keep in mind is safety.

This question was asked of Lt Wolfe of Sumter Sheriff's Office and he said it is legal for a car to pass on right if car ahead is waiting to turn left, but the car that is passing must not leave the paved part of road.

Now does that permit the car that is passing to cut off golf carts riding in the lane marked for bicycles and golf carts? That's.another question for Lt Wolfe.

Regarding the white line, it just marks the bicycle/golf cart lane It does not signal no passing. As you travel on Morse Blvd North take note of the number of golf carts that cross the white line and leave their lane to pass slower carts, bicyclists and pedestrians.

The real question IMO, why the rush and need for folks to pass everything and everybody on the road? Where is everyone going that they deem it necessary to speed in order to get there?

If you cut off any motorist in any lane wouldn't that an improper lane change and perhaps failure to yield?

Recently there was a long discussion here about those lanes. It was reported that the police have allegedly said that cars should use the golf cart lanes in preparation for their right turns. That is to say, as they prepare to turn right, they should drift over into the golf cart lane, stop, then turn.

To which I have said "HOOEY." If in fact that is correct, it is dangerous, stupid and wrong in my opinion.

:agree::agree::agree::agree:

I guess it makes perfect sense to me that a car would move over to the right to make a right hand turn. Cars turning "across" the cart lane would be much more dangerous for carts, I think. The way some folks drive, I don't believe I could trust that they would be watching the right mirror for a cart that might be passing them on the right. When carts are on the streets, they don't turn left from the cart lane; they use the normal traffic lanes, as they should.

Hmmmm.....

Anyone, with any sense, should drive with the assumption that the car in the road on their left might turn right at the intersection in front of you without warning.

You can't trust the competency of the driver of the car and it's better to just give way and under no circumstances be next to a car when going through the intersection.

Your right of way or the automobiles right of way, it's your ass on the line.

Memason, you make a good point. It is not necessarily moving to the right to make a right turn that is wrong. It's changing lanes without a turn signal and without yielding to oncoming traffic in the right lane.

So I ask again, if you cut off any motorist in any lane wouldn't that an improper lane change and failure to yield? TH, what say ye?

Whenever I'm in the cart lane on a street and I'm about to come to a street on my right, I look to see whether a car is beside me or behind but gaining on me to my left. If so, I slow down to make sure we don't reach the intersection or T exchange at the same time. Why? If the car turned right at that exchange, it would hardly matter whether it turned right in front of me from the car lane or whether it moved into the cart lane in front of me before turning. It would hit me all the same.

:agree:

I have been cut off more than once. Like others I usually lag back when both me in my cart and a car get to an intersection at the same time.

I actually like the intersections where they make the carts merge into the car lanes. This prevents the cars from cutting a cart off when they make a right hand turn.

That would cause a lot of traffic flow problems if the carts had to move left into the street at every intersection on Morse north of 466. You just gotta be careful, and assume the car on your left doesn't see you. It's kind of the same attitude you need when you're riding a bike or a motorcycle.

I agree - good practice.

I believe that golf cart drivers are given to believe that those side lanes are for golf carts, walkers, runners and bicycles. To encourage or allow automobiles to begin using them, even for turns is dangerous. No less than automobiles using multimodel lanes.

When one has a sense of security that they are in a "golf cart lane," they shouldn't be subject to making way for automobiles. Until everyone is educated that golf cart lanes are shared by automobiles I say it's a dangerous practice. We see time and again that cars cut in front of carts in a right turn. Imagine those drivers now pulling over into the cart lane with total disregard for the carts, walkers and runners.

How soon will it be before a golf cart is in the blind spot on the right of a car when it make it's entry into the golf cart lane. Or a walker or a runner.

If they are to be shared, don't call them golf cart lanes. At that time, signs should indicate that cars are merging with carts.

JLK

[QUOTE=Talk Host;310391]I believe that golf cart drivers are given to believe that those side lanes are for golf carts, walkers, runners and bicycles. To encourage or allow automobiles to begin using them, even for turns is dangerous. No less than automobiles using multimodel lanes.

When one has a sense of security that they are in a "golf cart lane," they shouldn't be subject to making way for automobiles. Until everyone is educated that golf cart lanes are shared by automobiles I say it's a dangerous practice. We see time and again that cars cut in front of carts in a right turn. Imagine those drivers now pulling over into the cart lane with total disregard for the carts, walkers and runners.

How soon will it be before a golf cart is in the blind spot on the right of a car when it make it's entry into the golf cart lane. Or a walker or a runner.

If they are to be shared, don't call them golf cart lanes. At that time, signs should indicate that cars are merging with carts.

JLK[/QUOTE

It would be a big mistake to assume a sense of security no matter if you're in a golf cart in the golf cart lane or in a car in a car lane. You must expect the unexpected and ALWAYS pay attention to everything. You must learn to anticipate others intentions.

That's true enough, and thousands of people are killed or injured because people don't or can't anticipate the actions of others. To invite automobiles to begin sharing cart lanes, I believe, is a big mistake. There are thousands and thousands of golf carts driving along with a sense of some security that they have their own lane, when suddenly, there's a car, garbage truck or UPS truck pulling into what they thought was their right of way. Unregistered carts are not permitted in the traffic lane, so the assumption is that registered automobiles are not suppose to be in the cart lane.

If it's gonna be that way, make it that way. Inform everybody and stop calling it a golf cart lane.

Look at the original post again. One of the problems with having cars move into the cart lane to pass when another car is waiting to turn left is that, when traffic starts to move, you can get two cars trying to move in the same direction where there is only a lane and a half.

Also, someone farther up the street sees traffic stopped behind a car turning left and starts to pull into the street when another car suddenly appears by going around in the cart lane.

Even on Morse north of 466, the wait isn't usually that long since they put the lights in at San Marino.

All I'm saying is the law is the law and until it's changed it's a big mistake to have a sense of security in any type of vehicle. That would be nice in a perfect world but there are too many variables. Perhaps a guardrail separating the car from cart lane would improve the situation but that's not going to happen any time soon.

I'm not sure that it's a law that cars must to go into the cart lane to initiate a right turn. I believe that it may be a misguided suggestion.

Additionally, I don't think that those lanes are wide enough to accommodate a full size car or truck, and the lanes are separated by a solid white line which I believe we are not suppose to cross.

If it becomes the law of the land that those lanes are to be used for cars to turn, then in short order people will also use them for driving. Think not?

JLK

Best to error on the side of caution and not use the cart lane for passing a left turning vehicle on the right or making a right turn.

A bit off topic from original post, but.....
 

Sir, I respectfully :bowdown: disagreed with your position on how to safely take a right turn in another thread and still do now. These articles , albeit not from FL, describe, IMO is the safest way to make right hand turns when sharing the road with ANY type of lane, bicycle or golf cart.

http://www.sfbike.org/?bikelane_right_turns
http://www.thewashcycle.com/2010/07/...ing-right.html

It makes no more sense for a car to take a right hand turn from the traffic lane without first merging into the golf cart lane than it does for a golf cart to take a left hand turn from the golf cart lane without first merging into the left hand traffic lane.

Turning across lanes without first properly merging is dangerous.

:popcorn:

AJ.... I agree with you [and the California law] totally. It just makes common sense that a car would merge into the cart/bicycle lane to make a right hand turn. As with any merge, the driver should signal his/her intentions and make sure there is no other vehicle present. Whether its a cart, car or bicycle should not matter.

I just fail to see where this is an issue... The best way to make sure you are not in a accident [ever!], with you car or your cart, is to leave them in the garage...

Just my thinking...

After having served on the New York State Highway advisory committee and the New York Southern Corridor Highway council, I've observed that most people fail to see inherent dangers in traffic patterns. Failing to "see this as an issue" will change if and when this practice becomes the rule.

There is a wide canyon between "leaving your car in the garage" and providing traffic laws that best assure motorist safety.

You have your opinion. I have mine.

The Original post to this thread by Logdog's description tells that he was stopped behind another car that was turning left. He himself was not turning left but was going to proceed straight ahead. Redwitch posted Florida Law in the second posting here. Section (1)(a) clearly states that passing on the right is permitted "When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn." Logdog was not turning left. Im sure he did not have his left signal on either. Therefore, the vehicles that did the passing on the right were in violation because Logdog was not intending to turn left. Remember that Logdog was going to go straight ahead.
Additionally, Section (2) reads in part, ...In no event shall such movement be made by driving off the pavement OR MAIN-TRAVELED PORTION OF THE ROADWAY. The "main-traveled portion of the roadway" is defined as that area where vehicles usually and normally travel. The 'golf cart lane' is not the Main-Traveled Portion for cars.

Regardless the reason that traffic ahead is stopped in the lane, you cannot drive out of your lane to the right onto the Golf Cart Lane to pass on the right. This area is not the Main Traveled Portion of the roadway.