child driver equals golf car accident
 

Near the Santo Domingo gate is a damaged golf car. In speaking with the gate house attendant, she told me that an under age child visiting The Villages was allowed to drive the homeowners golf car. The driver struck a tree and tore off the roof of the golf car and damaged the front left side as well. The attendant doesn't know if there were any serious injuries.

Bet the insurance isn't going to cover that

Over the last few days I have observed children hanging out of carts, driving carts, and in general making me cross my fingers that they get home safe.

I guess it's the season, seems we have this thread every year.

Next will be the thread about golf cart doing donuts and tearing up the golf courses.

Well, Pop-Pop is going to have to cut down on Christmas presents this year so he can pay for the golf cart that insurance will not pay for.

Another costly lesson was learned but I am sure that there will be many more postings of kids acting stupidly on golf carts between now and the end of the Christmas season.

Hmmm...I guess that though living in TV is living in paradise, it isn't living in a paradise free of adults who either don't think through their actions or ones who just don't care to be responsible and therefore put themselves and others at risk. Oh well TV is still as perfect as it gets........I'll just drive extra defensively looking out for those irresponsible folks. I can do that.

Suzanne

At least you hope you can. You never know where they will be coming from.

You are right. We hear about kids driving golf carts at each visiting time.

Oh please don't let those sweet bright eyed children behind the wheel.

Well said...some folks just can not accept that the rules actually do also apply to THEIR grandchildren. I have seen very young ones white knuckling it at the steering wheel while grandpa just looks on....

Unfortunately you can't teach people common sense. I saw a young mother driving a golf cart holding her sleeping baby to her chest with one hand and steering with the other! You wouldn't do that in a car so WHY would you do that in an open golf cart? I prayed they got home safely.

How do you fix stupid?
 

Yes we do have this thread every season; Christmas, Spring break, summer etc..
But as I titled this response what are we to do?
This is not Stonecrest or Del Webb, sleepy little communities where cars go 25MPH and carts don't go very fast.
This is THE VILLAGES, 80,000+, carts going 20 to 30 MHP, sharing the road with cement trucks, Allied Van Lines, landscaping rigs and the like.
Some of our neighbors think it's just great to give little Johnny or Jenny free reign in a golf cart.
Just remember, the way we use our carts is not a right it's a privelege, which can be taken away.
I pose the question, I do not presume to have the answer.

The answer put the grandparents in jail for willful neglect and endangerment of a minor. (The cart owners.)
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/abuse/

I agree with The Shadow

The Truth!
 

I had a weak moment and made a very bad judgement once.

After days of whining I whimped and let our 15 year old daughter drive the cart in Disney Ft Wilderness Campground. I saw others doing the same.

A Disney Offical caught us and we were packed up and removed from the campground. It ruined a vacation.

I have this flashback every time I see under age kids behind the wheel.

Our last visit in July my wife and I witnessed Grandpa with teenage Grandson next to the flashing lights of a police car. It was dark around 9 at night. The Gate and Cart were all smashed at the St James entrance.

I hope those that read this learn from my previous mistake.:doh:

That is the problem Carguy. It isn't against the law, it is against good judgement. And if only what most of us are talking about is a 15 year old. We are talking about much younger children for the most part.

It is so much fun. YES. But it is dangerous to the precious child and to the family who is not in the drivers seat, and to the rest of us, whose grandchildren also love US.

No matter how many laws are passed, none will outlaw STUPITY

Do not think any way this is "Child Abuse". putting grandparents in jail is just silly.Just be aware of your surroundings and you will be just fine.

Child abuse
 

Excessive permissiveness = Child Abuse!

Any time a parent or grandparent allows a child to do something that could harm/kill them, that IS child abuse. There would be no other reason to allow a child to do something like that except to buy love from the child.

Sorry folks, but it's just not worth it. Buy them an ice cream! :rant-rave:

Albert E says it best
 

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert E

Teaching your grandkids to break the laws and not act responsibly is grandparent stupidity. Dont sugar coat it. Let's teach our grandkids RESPECT for the laws. Let's teach them not to do things that can cause people to get hurt or maimed. :police::gc:

age requirement
 

Is there a written age requirement for driving a golf cat in TV ?

Reminds me of when my daughter was learning to drive. I gave her as much "behind the wheel" time as possible. She still made some absolutely stupid mistakes that almost, but didn't result in accidents.

When she did road test and got her license, the inspector commented that he thought she was well taught. Good feeling for Dad.

No way child abuse. Remember what we did as kids. Using machines, driving cars, this is how we learned.Think ,how many kids are learning to drive before they get their real drivers license. Get real,not sure if this is really a problem in the villages. Seems everyone gets real excited on a subject and do not think it through.Child abuse no way. Lets say your grandkid took your cart,you go to jail, do not think so.

Just to be clear
 

It's OK to let your child/grandchild use machines, drive cars and golf carts because "this is how we learned" (which BTW, I didn't drive on a public road until I had a permit and even then I was taken to rural roads first), but if something goes wrong, the parents/grandparents shouldn't go to jail? Really?

Rule number 1 If you "steal" my cart to go for a joy ride! I will throw you in jail! Because if your grandchild "took" your cart, they just stole it!

When learning to drive the young person must be accompanied by an adult and when learning to drive a car the student must have a learners permit. A student must have an instructor not set free to learn from his mistakes. A person can not teach themselves what they themselves do not know.

It is confusing
 

Disney 55 miles south. That is where the kids get to drive the rides. TV is an adult living community. We shouldn't have to dodge your grandkids.
Remember what we did as kids. Most of us did things that were wrong. You don't want these kids anywhere near a bridge where other kids are jumping in to play with the gators.
Not sure if it is a problem in the villages? This started from a kid crashing a cart. If one kid is driving a cart - Duh! you have a problem.
Teaching kids to break laws is child abuse.
Grandkid stealing your cart. My father taught me if I go to jail not to call him for bail. In jail they can't kill you and they have to feed you. Your grandkids steal your cart they get a time out. My grandkids steal my cart they better be heading for a foreign country. They know better. They understand rules and respect. What happened to teaching right and wrong and having morales?

While talking about golf cart safety and underage children, let's think about "over-age" driving of golf carts. I know a lot of villagers who can't see well enough or have needed reflexes to drive a car, but are out driving a golf cart.
I feel if you cannot drive a car, you shouldn't danger people in your golf cart also.
I know I'll get a lot of people who think otherwise, but I have dodged a lot of "oldsters" coming around corners head on with my golf cart.
I am not saying youngster should be allowed when not legal - just saying we better look our for everyone.

What would be the outcome of the 80 year old having to outmaneuver a sharp 13 year old daredevil? My guess is an 80 year old covered with tire tracks.

On thanksgiving day I saw gramps letting what looked like a 13 or 14 old slowly drive a golf cart around a completely empty parking lot at sea breeze rec center. (it was closed, hence no cars) While I too agree that kids should never be allowed to drive carts on the paths or road, I thought this was a good alternative.

You are absolutely and completely right.

However this is a community for olders.

I agree...putting a kid behind the wheel is child endangerment at the very least.

Funny. When you ask a successful person if his parents were tough...you hardly ever hear...

no.

Good Point
 

I hadn't thought of this but this is a thought provoking truth. Nice job well said.

I can tell you about tough. My father was fresh from the U S Marine Corps WWII at Iwo Jima. 'Yes sir' and 'no sir' were military things, not just southern things.

Age 14 and up.
The Villages Book touches on this: http://www.thevillagesfloridabook.co...-the-villages/
Unless the cart is street legal, then a driver's license is required. The Villages Golf Cart Man web site touches on this: http://villagesgolfcartman.com/id16.html

See nothing wrong with parents grandparents teaching them how to drive.As a former teacher,you are way off base calling this child abuse. Driving a automobile yes is against the law. Driving a golf cart is not. Have you ever heard of a person getting a ticket? of course not.

When underaged Johnnie or Suzy hit someone in a crosswalk at Lake Sumter Landing, Gramps is going to lose everyting he worked for all of his 40 year career.

Is it better to be a little strict with the golf cart or the possibility of losing everything?

Just read in the paper last week about an adult that was charged with endangering a child for teaching an underage kid how to drive a car. In Florida there is no distinction. Florida law dictates that the minimum age to drive a golf cart is 14. The least g-pa would get is a ticket.

Read original post please
 

Near the Santo Domingo gate is a damaged golf car. In speaking with the gate house attendant, she told me that an under age child visiting The Villages was allowed to drive the homeowners golf car. The driver struck a tree and tore off the roof of the golf car and damaged the front left side as well. The attendant doesn't know if there were any serious injuries.

Child endangerment.
1. A person who is the parent, guardian, or person having custody or control over a child or a minor under the age of eighteen with a mental or physical disability, or a person who is a member of the household in which a child or such a minor resides, commits child endangerment when the person does any of the following:
a. Knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantial risk to a child or minor's physical, mental or emotional health or safety

:agree:

While we're on the subject of grandparents lacking common sense, I saw something that made me cringe yesterday. Two young children were riding on the back of a golf cart (not a 4 seater). They were standing up on the golf bag platform and held in by the golf cart strap. Crazy!

Kids and golf carts
 

While it's fun to have grand kids visit, they shouldn't be allowed to drive the cart on public roads/golf cart paths until they are 18. Maybe if they are 16 or older they can drive with an adult next to them. Golf carts are even more dangerous than cars because there is no protection if you get hit in them. It's probably a good idea, if you have to let your grand kids experience driving a golf cart, to take them to an empty parking lot to drive. This way they don't endanger themselves or anyone else. I thought adults were supposed to be responsible? I say if a person living in TV let's an underage child drive in the golf cart lane or golf cart path then they should be fined. It's a matter of safety. We love those little kids and all we want is for everyone to be safe.

Kinda like going to the super market and seeing a child standing up in a cart! Ykes!!