Golf Cart Traffic Violations
 

We just witnessed some @#$ in a golf cart speed through two STOP signs and a RED light on Wedgewood Lane. The RED light was at CR 103 by Wal Mart where he wasn't allowed to be in the first place. Then on the way back home we saw some woman permitting a little girl to drive her golf cart - and no she won't see 14 for several years.

We need STRICT enforcement of all laws regarding golf cart operation and the sooner the better.

OK, I'm off the soap box now. I did see someone get pulled over on Buena Vista for speeding the other day. :a20:

i am thinking it needs to start at home for grandma and grandpa

I have to agree that there needs to me more enforcement of the laws regarding golf carts. I will have to admit, however, that when we first started going to Wal-Mart at CR 103, we didn't realize there was a tunnel to cross. We must have made around 10 trips across CR 103 before we realized there was a tunnel. Since we have found it, we have seen several people crossing at the light and have advised them about the tunnel. They didn't realize it was there either.

I agree. I wish they could post 20 miles an hour signs on the golf cart paths to remind drivers that this is the speed limit. I drive to work on Morse Blvd everyday and someone always passes me and nearly cuts in before another cart is heading toward them or they almost hit the green belt in the middle of the path. I have to nearly stop or pull over to allow them to cut me off and not cause an accident. One morning a cart was gassing it back and forth behind me so I pulled over to allow them to pass me and they had the nerve to stop and ask me if I was okay. I said I was fine but I truly felt like telling them what I thought. Many times I've thought that if you can't beat them join them...maybe I'll have my cart speed adjusted to a higher speed but when does it end. When someone gets hurt or killed !!!

our cart is 19mph but going up a hill its a bit slow

Mine goes 19 mph too

My cart goes 19.6 and people pass me all the time. At first I felt guilty, like I was holding up traffic, but now I accept the fact that my cart is legal and my cart isn't "juiced up" or "jacked up" as I over heard some say theirs is. I now go along my merry way, pass me up, I don't care.

Mine will be tuned to 19.6 as well. However, I am having it modified with a few defensive "tools". The only one I can publicly share is a "shunk sprayer" for carts who try to pass me! :jester:

What?

MANY have been hurt and killed in golf cart accidents here in The Villages. As much as I hate added rules and the rigamarole, and expense to put them into place and to enforce them, I think that we need some way to put a tag on a cart so that offenders can be noted and reported.

I am still upset that someone can do a hit and run in a golf cart, with no means to identify the cart.

Accidents
 

There have been many accidents with injuries in the last 2 years. I am sure speed has been the cause of some of them. In talking with our attorney and insurance agents there are quite a few golf cart lawsuits "out there". I wish the "happy paper" would report the causes and the results of lawsuits of all golf cart accidents. There seems to be a whole lot of golf cart drivers who do not care about the law!:gc:

Actually, it is incorrect to say the speed limit on the multi-modal trails is 20 mph. That is private property and the speed limit of 20 mph is for the public property of the roadways. The police do not have authority on the multi-modal trails so they cannot give a ticket for speeding.

By the way, my cart is maxed out for 19.9 mph.

Note to the Elderly man driving golf cart on Morse golf cart lane yesterday. The way to make a left turn into Hacendia is to stop, look, signal, and when clear make your turn.

Just making an IMMEDIATE left turn across 2 lanes of traffic without looking is a death wish. You don't know how close you came to being run over by a BIG RED SUV!

You are lucky to be alive, and lucky that I am always watching whenever there are golf cart near me while I travel.

I would say that most of the golf cart accidents are due to being distracted or maybe not knowing an area well. As for crossing 103...whenever there is a road where golf-carts aren't supposed to go there is always a sign. THUS the "being unobservant"! Not sure why someone would run a red light except for being.....again unobservant!! Many folks here shouldn't be driving any kind of vehicle due to many reasons. So...we all need to drive defensively!

Reminds me of the time I was in my cart on the multimodal path that runs adjacent to Colony rec center. There was an elderly (older than me by maybe several years.) who was going the same direction but was going slowly and seemed tentative. He then stopped and I was about to pass him when he decided to make a U-turn. Luckily for me I was watching and driving accordingly as I then had to go for the grass (to my left) and yell loudly STOP, otherwise he'd have t-boned me even there!!! It wasn't until I yelled that he even was aware that I was there as he didn't look. It was very lucky we were the only ones on the path at that moment. :pray:

Golf Carts
 

Just a questions for the golfers? I know you carry a towel to wipe your hands, clubs and golf balls by WHY does it get carried in such a fashion that it covers the tail/brake lights on both sides of the vehicle??? Saw a very close near miss today.

My cart goes 22 mph on the flat and about 24 when I get on a little down hill grade. It was that way when I got it. I haven't done anything to it.
Where is it posted that the speed limit for golf carts is 20mph? I see signs on some roads that say the speed limit is 20 mph unless otherwise posted. I assumed that is for cars.

A few days ago I got to wondering how traffic laws for golf carts can be enforced anyway. My understanding is that the rule is that an operator must be 14 years old, but does not need a drivers license. How does one enforce rules with unlicensed, but perfectly legal drivers?

As far as there being "a lot " of accidents in the past two years, how many have there been?

We live in a community of 85,000 people with about 65,000 golf carts. I would love to read that we have had zero accidents, but I think that is a bit unrealistic.

Obviously we like to avoid all accidents and it is certainly tragic when someone is seriously injured or killed in any kind of accident, but we have got to expect that in a community this large with this many golf carts, accidents are bound to happen.
Of course we should do everything reasonably possible to avoid accidents, but the only way that we will ever have zero accidents is to ban all vehicles.

I think sometimes problems get a bit exaggerated on this forum.

So does anyone know how many accidents there have been?

I just had some idiot women this morning driving on the upper half of morse....she had pulled out into the car lanes cause she didn't want to get wet from the sprinklers!!!! 15mph.. She almost got rearended by the car in front of me because of her stupidity... and no the golf cart was not licensed.

I am pretty nice with golf carts and courteous but when you do something stupid like that....::sigh::

I make a point to tuck the towel through my bags grab handle when not on the course. I wish everyone would, but ????

Hope you have a good attorney

Don't need to post speed signs for golf carts, by Florida law a golf cart travels at less than 20mph. If faster could be considered a low speed vehicle and must be registered, have seat belts, etc.

They can give tickets anywhere if they feel you are a danger to other people.
Don't take my word for it, call the Sheriff's Department and ask the question.

Yes, you are right. They will give tickets for drinking alcoholic drinks while driving a golf cart on the multi-modal trails or for reckless driving (endangering others).

Graciegirl - he is from Alabama so you gotta give him a break on spelling. I lived in AL for 6 yrs and I "think" that my dear friend means SKUNK sprayer. He is officially moving here on the 17th of Sept. and I will introduce him to a spell checker that he can use.
We love ya John!
Don & Kaz

"A few days ago I got to wondering how traffic laws for golf carts can be enforced anyway. My understanding is that the rule is that an operator must be 14 years old, but does not need a drivers license. How does one enforce rules with unlicensed, but perfectly legal drivers? "

Quote from DR Winston

Well now, I have been wondering about this myself. If you don't have a driver license to put points against, just what is the penalty when doing something wrong in a golf cart? A fine? take it away? just what the heck can they do if you are not a licensed driver???

first off I don't know if I'd want my shunk sprayed especially since that is considered assault, second it is not up to you to enforce, it is the sheriff's depts job..you just risk some nut;s wrath.

floridea law states 19.9 max for golf carts, going faster is a ticketable offense for driving an unregistered motor vehicle with a hefty fine.

Going faster than 20 mph is a criminal offense in Sumter county. Driving an unregistered motor vehicle can get you 30 days. Not a traffic ticket, a criminal offense. Minimum court costs is $254 and that's not including any fine.

Just the facts...

So they pull over a 14 year old kid and ask him for an I.D. and he says he doesn't have one. What's next? Are they going to take him into custody?

No, not taken into custody, but could have a problem getting a license in his/her home state when of age.

Have stated this before. Made the mistake years ago in Fort Wilderness Disney of letting my 12 year old daughter drive the cart in the campgrounds.

Park Ranger took our cart and told us to vacate the campground asap. No refund no argument.

Lesson learned that day.

Yesterday at 30 mph in our car was passed by a cart on the right . Followed behind him clocked him at 34 mph on the flat. That Yamaha engine was screaming for mercy.

You will never stop the governor tampering. It's a lost cause.

Plenty of lawyers out there
 

Yesterday at 30 mph in our car was passed by a cart on the right . Followed behind him clocked him at 34 mph on the flat. That Yamaha engine was screaming for mercy.

You will never stop the governor tampering. It's a lost cause.[/QUOTE]

Very true! But if they cause an accident with injuries, maybe you can sue them to the point they will only be able to live in section 8 housing! :swear:

They will issue a Florida drivers license, give ticket, then suspend license. When the 14 year old gets older and goes to get license, surprise, they start off with a ticket on their record which will increase the already high insurance premium they will have to pay.

How would they know who he is? Is he obligated, under the law, to tell them his name?

How could they expect a 14 year old to know and understand the traffic laws when he hasn't been asked to study for or pass a test?

Here's another interesting question. I ran into a woman who is legally blind. She has had her license taken away so now she uses her golf cart to get around the Villages.
Is she breaking any laws?

I don't believe that speed limit signs would do much good. Those of us with golf carts that are stock can't go much over 20 mph (19.8 limit) and those going a lot over that knew what the limit was when they paid a couple of hundred bucks to have their cart modified so that it would exceed that; they don't seem to care and those who do care need no reminder.

Some of the "jailhouse lawyers" who are asking the "what if.." questions should know that the fines are hefty for speeding on the public roads in your golf cart.

The 14 year old kid driving a speeding cart will be taken back to Gramp's house and Gramps will be read the riot act by the police, I am sure, as to how dangerously that Junior was driving. Gramps would be liable for any personal liability in case of an accident and may lose everything he worked all his life to afford.

As far as the legally blind lady driving her golf cart, no laws are being broken - but would she have golf cart insurance? Probably not - and again, if she caused an accident, the liability may wipe out all she has in the world.

Remember, also, if a cart was speeding along at 35 mph and caused an accident and the owner sued; insurance may not pay off since the driver was breaking the law - and once again, the driver may lose everything he worked for all his life.

This morning as I was leaving Seabreeze, in my SUV, a cart crossed in front of me at the BV exit. He didn't even slow down, just blew through in front of me. As I turned into St. James on St. Charles, he blew that stop sign and cut in front of me from the path onto St. Charles. THEN proceeded to pull straight into the car lane so he could make a left turn onto a side street. I had already learned that this guy had no regard for signs or driving etiquette, so I was giving him a fairly wide berth. But, if I had hit him there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been the guilty party. I'm new here and learning fast.
Don

Not sure if Gramps would be read the riot act by the police.Think they are more professional than that.

For all the newbies who are just coming here...be prepared to drive defensively ALWAYS!! Especially now as the snowbirds start coming back and the population increases etc. Folks just don't pay attention here AND then there's folks who don't think the rules apply to them. Just don't speed and take chances and watch out for the other guy...always!!