Golf Cart fatalities
 

Golf carts play a role also. I see so many running without tail lights on (during near dark, dark or in the rain) or retro “cool back in the day” tail lights that you could not see because they simply jump in the cart and never treat it like an automobile. I heard one recent accident in the south was due to no golf cart lighting in a heavy rain and another cart rear ended it. Second one is distracted cart driving, drinking something, cell phone use, reaching for something in the cart, etc. I have seen examples of all of these many times with the carts.

I don’t get the Daily Sun so I cannot read the article - perhaps it answers these questions…

- Of the fatalilities along Morse, how many involved another vehicle?
- Of those that involved another vehicle, how many were caused by a golf cart pulling out in front of a car or turning left in front of a car? (I remember two but there could have been more)
- What improvements, short of banning golf carts in a golf-cart community, would have prevented those accidents?

Most of the deaths I remember were due to head injuries. Lack of seatbelts is usually blamed, and they may have helped in some cases, but a belt across my lap is not going to keep my head from hitting the pavement if my cart rolls to the driver’s side. We can’t prevent golf cart drivers from pulling into traffic, we can’t keep them from turning too quickly and rolling the cart, we can’t keep them front entering a tunnel too fast and driving head-on into the wall, but we CAN protect their heads.

If we want to save lives we won’t get far by waiting for the county to change Morse and even that would only prevent maybe 1/3 of the fatalities. If we want to save lives we can strongly promote, and even push the state legislature to require, head protection. We claim foam helmets protect bicyclists and we require DOT-certified helmets for motorcycles, perhaps now is the time to require helmets for golf carts too.

12 Fatal accidents. Suggest you get the Homicide Reports for these accidents and then give us facts to see how and why they occurred.

It’s a short burb, that gives zero indication on causes just the fear factor of Twelve fatalities in 48 months. No dates either.

The only three I remember was medical emergency driver of car hit a golf cart, leaving road, finally coming to a stop by hitting a fence, and a medical emergency driver in a golf cart, lost control, after losing consciousness. So both fatalities, but I wouldn’t classify medical emergency as preventable accident.

The third could be walkers in the road with traffic, first cart just missing them, second cart no time to react. That scenario, has happened more than a couple of times. Although not all were fatal.

Although multiple people have fallen out of golf carts due to a quick turn, no seatbelt resulted in passengers falling out and hitting pavement or curb. Today 2 carts coming out of Eastport crossing the road instead of driving down to the tunnel. Definitely not street legal

I don't believe helmets for motorcycles are "required" in Florida. Although I disagree with the helmet law because a helmet saved my life, I wear one on my Kawasaki, but would not wear one in a golf cart. I only wear a belt when I am a passenger in a golf cart on a main road like Morse north of 466 and I don't like being on Morse.

The actual cart lane on Morse is not wide enough for a cart and the cart is required to put the right tires in the concrete water ditch which makes the cart unstable many times. Of course I don't know how many accidents occur where a car/truck hit the back corner of cart on Morse, but I don't want to the be one of the ones listed in some list.

IMO, age, alcohol, phones, and poorly lit carts are the main reasons for fatalities and serious injuries. All four of these can be the cart or the car/truck involved with the cart.

Don’t forget alcohol.

The section of road on Morse north of 466 is the responsibility of Sumter County. They have made it very clear that they have zero interest in the financial commitment necessary to improve the safety on that particular stretch of road. Kimley-Horn, the developers consulting firm on these type of matters, coincidentally supports that position?

. Helmets on motorcycles are optional in Florida

[QUOTE=Babbs

The actual cart lane on Morse is not wide enough for a cart and the cart is required to put the right tires in the concrete water ditch which makes the cart unstable many times. Of course I don't know how many accidents occur where a car/truck hit the back corner of cart on Morse, but I don't want to the be one of the ones listed in some list.
The cart lane on Morse is plenty wide enough for any golf cart. On Rio Grande and Del Mar they are not wide enough at all

"golf cart community"

I keep hearing that. Doesn't mean they have priority on the roads, it just means - please be more careful, there are golf carts sometimes sharing the roadway here.


It would be safer for everyone if:
Everyone would obey the speed limits (cars and golf carts*).
Everyone stop at stop signs. Yeah, we know you were planning to run the STOP sign when you stop midway into the golf cart lane.
Everyone cut the distracted driving from when you were young and stupid, had better peripheral vision, better vision, better reflexes, better brain.
Alcohol. Twice in the past month I've seen two different golf carts pull up to our postal station with a beer in both their hands. Wow.
No, golf cart isn't a permit to drive while drinking, nor drunk on the way home. (my thought was - probably having a beer on the way to happy hour). sheezze

*golf carts - never over 20mph. period
golf cart paths aren't your little race track. many times I've met a driver head on in a blink curve driving down the middle of the path.
deranged

Good points. A lot of cart drivers don’t seem to realize how hard they can be to see on a grey day or in early morning or evening. Some cars do the same. I think lowering the speed limit to 30 on Morse from 466 north has helped. The original driver was writing about fatalities. I wonder about accidents with no fatalities. Those are worth mention, too. I was in The Villages during all these fatalities. In my recollection, all of these could have been prevented if those in the carts had been wearing seat belts. They might have still been injured, but they’d probably be alive.

I’m reading this thread All I see is a whole lot of ASSUMPTIONS. Not saying accidents don’t happen, but the fatalities I DO know about, are from someone falling OUT of the cart, from what ever the reason.
My advice? Deal with what YOU can control. Your cart, your driving. Zero accidents/fatalities would be a great goal. But it’s not going to happen. Way too many carts driving around. Accidents are going to happen.

Ban Golf Carts
 

It may become too dangerous for golf carts and they will have to be banned from using those county roads? We saw a bad fatality near 466 on Wedgewood lane behind the Olive Garden last year. The cart was a tangled mess. They are just no competition for automobiles who must have the priority.

Thank you! I knew I was forgetting something...

Partially true.

"There are a lot of facets to Florida’s motorcycle laws that can be confusing. For instance, Florida requires all motorcycle operators to wear a helmet that complies with all Federal Motorcycle Vehicle Safety Standards. However, if you are over the age of 21, you can get away without wearing a helmet if you have proof that you are covered by an insurance policy that carries at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries." (rosen ohr law dot com / florida motorcycle helmet laws)

I wonder if it was this fatality back in August of last year. If so then it is important to note that the crash occurred on the golf cart path and not the public road, it was nowhere near Morse Blvd that the OP mentioned, and automobiles had nothing to do with the single-vehicle crash.

If it was a different fatal golf-cart crash on Wedgewood then it did not get mentioned in the online paper.

12 deaths in 4 years? More people die slipping in the shower!

Feedback:
 

That's the Daily Sun's responsibility when they published the original information that I quoted. B-T-W those fatalities involved autos (not another cart).

One solution for the Morse Blvd—golf cart lane that was not considered was to put concrete Jersey barriers to separate the autos and carts. Seems that would be cheap enough, and might prevent some accidents.

That could make thing worse. Imagine a speeding SUV jumping the barrier and careening across the path. Yes, it would happen.

Golf Cart accidents/Incidents
 

Are the Golf Cart accidents/Incidents only because of the roadway design, or might there be some drinking, speeding, and lack of reflexes on the golf cart driver's part? You are painting with a very broad brush and only expressing a part of the problem. Dig in and get a few more facts before we spend millions of dollars, inconvenience and aggravation to redesign the road.

You are correct helmets are not required in Florida, Illinois and several other States.

A driver of a car on 466A driving just east of Morse Blvd. had a medical incident (blacked out) went off the road and fatally injured two females in a golf cart. The accident was about 10 years ago as I remember. Terrible accidents happen and there is no way to prevent them all. Careful what you wish for when wanting more rules and regulations on golf carts.

Exactly right! Because if you do forget alcohol, you have to buy your beers at the kio$kS.

Yes, or a cart bouncing off of or worse yet afterward. I recently seen that happen with the road curbing along the cart path. Person in the golf cart was trying to read something while driving and I’m passing in my car.