Insurance for golf carts
 

Last night I went to a poa meeting and golf cart insurance was discussed. I found out that my homeowners insurance company insures golf carts as an addition to an auto policy. Presently I have Allstate. I was concerned about coverage because my cart can exceed 20mph and was told that the insurance company may not pay for any claim if you have an "illegal" cart. I talked to an agent and who told me that if my cart was insured under the auto policy that I would still be covered in case of a claim. I just wanted to throw this information out there as I know there are quite a few people here who own gas carts that can go faster than 20MPH. :gc:

John

If your "cart" goes faster than 20 mph, than it is a Low Speed Vehicle and must be registered and insured. It will also need seat belts and other equipment required of LSVs. If your "cart" is not registered as a vehicle and you have an accident and it is determined that the cart was modified to go 20 mph or more, you will probably lose coverage and be subject to fines of $350 or more. You will also be subject to these fines and a court appearance if the police clock you on a street cart path doing more than 20 mph.

20 mph
 

I was at the same meeting. I heard the attorney tell everyone to set your golf cart to no more than 20mph, unless sreet legal. Your insurance contract is for a golf cart (defined in FL as 20mph or less). If your cart exceeds 20mph you are violating your end of the contract. Attorney's quote, "Don't give the insurance co a reason to deny your claim". Is going 25-30mph really worth risking your home and other assets? :undecided:

Doesn't sound right to me. Usually if it doesn't sound reasonable its not right. A car can go 120 miles an hour and the speed limit could be 35 or 70 miles per hour. Its only illegal if you go faster than the speed limit. Thats reasonable. My golf cart can go 25 miles an hour and the speed limit is 20 miles an hour----15 in some places in TV and I travel the speed limit and get a ticket. Doesn't sound reasonable to me. It doesn't matter if its gas or electric you need more speed in order to travel the speed limit up a hill here in TV. Bottom line----who is going to pull you over for traveling the speed limit? Just saying.

The problem is that the definition of a golf cart says that it is not capable of exceeding 20mph. So, if your cart is capable of exceeding that, you no longer have a cart, you have an LSV and it must be equipped and registered and insured as such. It does not matter how fast you drive. True, if you don't exceed the speed limits, it is unlikely you'll get stopped by the sheriff. But if you're involved in an incident, and they can show your cart is capable of more than 20, you could be in trouble.

When insuring your cart under your auto policy from what I understand it is a "car". I understand the LSV vehicle requirements but a gas cart cannot be a LSV. I am also aware that if caught speeding I would have to pay a large fine for an unregistered vehicle. Personally for the most part I keep my speed under 20mph. The policy I'm getting is about $60 more per year but the coverage is better.

After attending the meeting last night I seriously considered dropping my speed to 20mph but for the extra premium I think that's the best option as I find that sometimes a little extra speed is helpful.

John

What are you accomplishing by adding a gas cart that has been modified to go over 20 mph to your auto policy? It still would not be covered because it is not legally an automobile.

Risk?
 

An insurance co is in business to pay claims, right? If you are in an accident and found "at fault". The insurance company finds your cart speed has been increased above 20 mph, do you think they are happy to pay all claims. You could hire an attorney to sue the insurance co. Money out of your pocket. If you lose suing the ins.co you may have a whole lot of money out of pocket to pay hospital, medical, pain & suffering claims. There is a plus side, in a lawsuit they may not be able to touch your IRA accounts. :undecided:

When insuring your cart under your auto policy from what I understand it is a "car". I understand the LSV vehicle requirements but a gas cart cannot be a LSV. I am also aware that if caught speeding I would have to pay a large fine for an unregistered vehicle. Personally for the most part I keep my speed under 20mph. The policy I'm getting is about $60 more per year but the coverage is better.

After attending the meeting last night I seriously considered dropping my speed to 20mph but for the extra premium I think that's the best option as I find that sometimes a little extra speed is helpful.

John

We have a policy with Allstate that is just for the golf cart. It hasn't been modified to go over 20 mph but it can go over 20mph. I sometimes need more power to navigate the Bonita Hill after Canal so don't know how to do that and still stay "legal". What are others doing in the same situation?


LW888

The only advice/counsel on this I'm going to buy into is that which our licensed insurance agent here in TV, in the State of Florida, provides us.

There is a lot of conjecture here, based on knowledge of insurance laws and norms in other states. Consult a a licensed agent in this state.

ilovetv,
 

Good suggestion and I am going to phone her tomorrow. I checked it out last year regarding renters using the cart but didn't mention the 20mph issue. Thanks

LW888

If it's now a car; I hope you have it registered, display license tags and have seat belts just like a car. Bottom line is: if it goes more than 20 mph, it's not a cart and you take your chances. By the way, I have seen police in The Villages pull over carts going over 20 mph and cite them for being an unregistered vehicle.

If your cart still has the motor that came out of factory when new and has not been motified it is a golf cart.

Anyone check with ins?
 

I talked to our Allstate agent. The issue is "modified". With an electric cart it is a high speed motor or the "codes" changed. With a gas cart they check where the throttle is set. She said they do not investigate every claim only the ones that could cost Ins. co $$ in claims. If the cart exceeds 20mph going down a hill it is not a problem. "Modified" and "set" seems to be the words. Same thing the Attorney said at the POA. If there is another co that will insure a "golf cart" ( as defined by FL law) that exceeds 20 mph, let me know. I would like to speed mine up!:crap2:

Florida Law:

320.01 Definitions, general.--As used in the Florida Statutes, except as otherwise provided, the term:

(22) "Golf cart" means a motor vehicle that is designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting or recreational purposes and that is not capable of exceeding speeds of 20 miles per hour.

So if the governor on a gas cart has been modified or adjusted so that the motor can now go more than the 20 mph that it was designed to do, it is no longer a golf cart and must be registered, plated and insured as a LSV. I don't really care if you want to pass me on the roads. I'm retired and not in that much of a rush that I want to risk the fines and court appearance resulting from an unregistered vehicle violation. I just want all to be aware of what you're getting into when you speed up your cart for that extra couple of miles per hour. Be safe - we're all in this together.

Just because your cart goes over 20mph doesn't make it a LSV. Just take your foot off the gas pedal!

Ausfober,
 

well yes it does. By definition and confirmed by the insurance company, if a vehicle is ABLE to go over 20 mph, then it is classified as a LSV even if you never drive it over 20 mph. That is the problem, if you want that extra bit of power to negotiate some of the hills. A golf cart repair fellow told me that if the computer controlled setting is adjusted on the electric cart that it may not be able to be set exactly at 20 so it may go 18 and regardless of what it is set at, it will lose about 4 mph going up hill. The downhill speed doesn't matter as that get gravity into play. So you need to decide what it's worth to be able to max at 20 and lose 4 mph on the hills or to have that bit of extra if you need it.

Apparently if the engine on an electric cart is an original factory one then it can't go over 20 unless it was modified somewhere along the line by either the golf cart reseller or at the owner's request. Don't know about the gas ones. Still debating what to do.

BTW can you get ticketed on the cart path on BV or is it Morse Blvd that gets the tickets and Canal, as the carts are right on the roadway. There seems to be differing opinions.

LW888

My understanding is that you can only get ticketed on cart paths sharing the roadway. The multimodal paths are private property and police have no jurisdiction. However, if you have an accident on a multimodal, all bets are off. I seen tickets issued to golf carts on Morse north of 466 a couple of times and I've heard of tickets issued near Sweet Bay.

One thing that has not been mentioned. Your liability if you injure or cause damage to someone. Isn't that why you buy insurance? Why take the chance just to gain a little speed? Not to mention breaking the law.

Speed
 

I was on golf cart path doing 20mph approaching a slight down hill to a tunnel. In the rear veiw mirror I could see a cart coming up very fast. He past me at the top of the hill, made a fast turn in the tunnel and was out of sight in no time. If someone was coming up the hill or out of the tunnel, it would not have been a pretty sight. I wonder what his insurance co would have done! It is a good thing there are plenty of lawyers advertising on the TV, I might need one!:gc: