Just a heads up...golf carts
 

This was passed along at our monthly village social last night by our president who spoke with a member of the sheriffs dept. They are going to start cracking down on golf carts. If you are traveling down a street in the golf cart lane behind a slower cart or bicycle and you pull into the traffic lane to pass, you can be ticketed. Tickets will run in excess of $100 - $150.
Now I'm just the messenger...not trying to start rumors...so if you don't agree, feel free to check for yourself.

that's just crazy.

Hummm. I have one that runs a comfortable 22 MPH and I constantly get passed with some going fast enough to blow off my hat. I do pass the rental carts that run about 15 MPH. I sure did not know that could cost me a ticket. Thanks for the information.

Anyone with valid link or facts would be appreciated.

What's the hurry... your retired!


A little courtesy can go a long way.

Work it like farmers do with their tractors on rural roads.... if they are backing up traffic, they find a spot to pullover and let faster traffic go past them.

Journey...my darling wannabee. Come here and SEE how things go first before giving what is generally VERY GOOD ADVICE.....

No one truly understands this place until they have been in this place.

We are 17 miles long from bow to stern and there are probably..VERY conservatively 50,000 golf carts here.

It makes issues that do not exist anywhere else on this earth. We still lollygag and make ourselves late for tee times etc. So there is passing of golf carts.

Only problem with "working it like farmers do" is those holding up traffic don't usually know or care and few places to pull over.

So if I am behind someone going up a hill on a bike I can't pass them! I agree that's crazy!

Does anyone know where we can find the book of regulations for golf carts in The Villages? I've never studied for or taken a test on the rules and regulations. All I know is what I've heard by word of mouth which is not only not very reliable, but often conflicting.

I think that if they are going to start ticketing us, they ought to let us know what the rules are.

Not sure that's the whole story . . .
 

Seems to me, that traveling in a golf cart and passing others, who are slower, would not be illegal. It is legal to cross the solid white line, separating the cart/bicycle lane from automotive traffic. In fact, a cart must cross the line to turn left, etc.

It could be that the sheriff dept. is planning to crack down on carts that go faster than the legal 20mph, when on the roads. For those carts, it would be common for them to be using the traffic lanes to pass slower carts.

Somehow, carts getting ticketed for passing bicyclists, walkers and slower carts does not pass the smell test for me...

Weel, when I'm going to pick up my wife at her job ( she still works) or going to one of my many club meetings, or on my way to a pool tournament where people are depending on me, I don't want to be late. And even though I leave in plenty of time to get to where I'm going on time, I can be late because of someone who insists on driving their golf cart at 10 mph.

There are also a lot of people who play golf and have a tee time. Being late to the tee is not only inconsiderate of all of the other players and the golf course staff, it can cost you losing your time. The same can be said about dinner reservations or meeting up with friends for any one of a number of activities.

Just because we are retired doesn't mean that we have no schedule.

Can you pull out and pass a bicyclist or a walker or a Villages owned golf cart?

What's next, background checks for golf cart purchases!

That's what I find to be conflicting information. It's ok to cross the solid white line to get left to make a left turn just like you would be in the left hand lane in a car, but not to pass? I was under the impression the cart lane is for slower moving vehicles. You would assure clearance to pass just like you would in a car. I'm hoping if traffic laws are changed it should be made public and not hearsay.

I agree it seems a little odd, maybe as was stating if you pass a cart that's doing the legal limit be ready to pay the price. I'd be very happy if that's what's coming. I go 19.9/20 in my new one and get passed several times a day. I don't see why someone needs to do 25+ in a golf cart.

I think your right, I would like to be able to pass walkers, bicycles and rental carts going at or less than 15 MPH without fear of a ticket. Since I cannot go over 21 or 22 even downhill, I should never have a worry about a speeding ticket. Also, if I come up on someone that is only going 2 or 3 mph slower than me, I would not consider passing them.

There is a Golf Cart safety course being offered on teh 17th of April at 10:00 am at the Savanah center. May be interesting

I have a Yamaha gas cart and with just myself and one bag of clubs I can do 25mph, but I found the Yamaha runs smoothest at 22mph and handles best. I think it's a disservice to the manufacturer and the operator and also a safety issue to not allow a gas golf cart to operate at 22mph. With carts operating everywhere from rentals at 14mph to retuned carts going 25mph it can cause a hazard. On our interstates we usually have two or sometimes 3 or 4 lanes to separate traffic, here we are limited to one lane of golf cart traffic.


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Remember - that rule regarding passing applies only to the public roadways and not to the multi-modal trails.

It also applies only when a police officer is around!

I think you need to go back to your president for clarification. Is it the speed of the passing cart or the fact they are passing...................a big difference.
As the messenger you must provide accurate information. See, its fun being a messenger!

Just remember it is only illegal if you get caught:D

btk

Sounds like a bunch of nothing to me. Just a comment.I do not think much of this. Maybe the police have to much time on their hands. Think they are still trying to solve the stolen golf course mower caper.

Hmm... I am wondering if because it is a solid white line, it may be illegal to cross it to pass, just like on the road, while if you cross it to make a left-hand turn, you aren't passing, you are leaving the lane. Maybe?

Please cite the statute that covers this. Sounds like you heard this third hand.

Amen Brother !!!

I'm beginning to think what was actually stated by authorities was that they were cracking down on golf cart drivers making unsafe passing moves. I have witnessed a few of those.

I see. Some have adapted and use their golf carts as their primary mode of daily transportation.

If those paths originally created for recreational or leisure use, they are not designed for how some are using them.

The solution for congested roads is to widen them (add a new lane) in the worst areas.

add a passing lane.....then just like on the highway some dork will be cruising in the passing lane holding everybody up.

All we can hope for is the police ticket the violators until such time they fall in line with the rest of us.

To me speeding is the bigger problem with golf carts. Too many people never owned one. None of them learned how to drive one. So all they know is floor it, keep it floored and go. I see it every single day they get into a curve or have to swerve around something and they still do not let up on the throttle.

I vote they put on a special police force to do nothing but ticket golf cart violators....before some go OMG is he kidding? Of course I am....but I still think it is a good idea. And it would not detract from the keeping of the peace and bad guy hunting because it would be an additional force fully funded by the ticket revenue.

Ditto for speeders on TV roadways.

Go get em Danno.

btk

From the state of Florida website:

Solid White Line
A solid white line marks the edge of the roadway or separates lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. You may travel in the same direction on both sides of this line, but you should not cross the line unless you must do so to avoid a hazard.

State of Florida.com - Florida Traffic Signals

If golf carts were truly not allowed to pass walkers, joggers, bicycles and the like that would create a very hazardous and potentially dangerous traffic situation. If I jogged it would be on one of the multi model paths, not on Morse blvd.

Harry Gilbert's post #26 speaks to the first issue I would raise and that is the function of the white line. In addition to Harry's explanation the white line serves to possible determine in an accident as to which driver crosse the white line. The second issue rised is are we discussing street legal vehicles or unregistered golf carts becuase the treatment for each is decidedly different owing to their legal status. For instane an unregistered golf cart is traveling in a diamond lane ( golf cart lane on a roadway) and doing in excess of 19.9mph creates a hazard passing a golf cat traveling the suggested limit 19.9mph then police may have ample reason to issue a ticket. If on the other hand you have a golf cart going 19.9mph and a bike, golf cart pedestrian slowing traffic and a golf cart driver makes a move then it to alleviate the traffic situation that also may be treated differently. A key to all of this is of course is the move determined to be a safe or unsafe passing. Then the police have to deal with street legal vehicles. Should street legal vehicles be required to operate primarily on roadways and away from golf cart parhs unless there is no other route? In essence I see the diamond lanes as a designated lane for golf carts and bikes for safery reasons and ease of trafic flow.

My guess is that residents are getting tired of golf cart drivers acting like cowboys which is a consideration given that we have some 50,000 golf carts. You would have thought that planning for a community with its primary mode of traffic being golf carts that better design and rules would have been established in the early planning stages.

I altered my golf cart to go from 27mph to 19.9mph two years go and it has not created a time when i was late for any appointment.

I oftne ride the golf cat paths before sun up and can tell you there are some real cowboys out there and based on their action seem to have no idea of the hazards they are creating for thmselves and others given blinding lights, dark and hidden areas and people walking without reflectors.

After reading all of the following posts, it seemed reasonable to check for myself. I spoke to Lt. Nehemiah Wolfe, the Villages District Supervisor at the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, regarding the law on this matter. He indicated that it is permitted to cross the white line to pass if it is done in a safe manner. You cannot cross a yellow line (such as on the Morse bridge cart path). The key is passing in a "safe manner". Common sense and good judgment should keep you out of trouble with the law. The Lieutenant, by the way, was friendly and professional. If you receive a ticket for crossing the white line, you should contact him.

When was your last visit to The Villages??

You need to visit, most use their carts as primary mode of transportation and it's not the "paths" that are in question, it's the public roads

Great posting! Lt Wolfe IS a great guy and a wonderful person to get the straight stuff from. Thanks for taking the initiative to ask "the man" and give us a report from him. I'm sure the OP and his club president thought certain what they heard was correct but sometimes we get things filtered a bit too much. It's happened to all (or at least most) of us. :o

There you go! Just don't test out your theories in front of a cop and you'll never have to find out. Plus..I have a feeling that the cops have more to do than track down & bust errant golf cart captains, unless this is a push by the county to rake in some extra money.

Old villages wives tale. Not true.

Bump someone traveling 3 mph with your cart that can go 25 mph. When the passenger in the other cart demands to be taken to the hospital be ready to cover all those bills as your cart is not legally a golf cart and your insurance co will hang you out to dry by yourself.

The VHA does a golf cart safety meeting the 3rd Wednesday at the Savannah Center every month. 10:00 am.....Sumter, Lake and Marion law enforcement is there to answer all your questions.

I think that the sheriff's department must have gotten many complaints of unsafe lane changes or carts jumping into the vehicle lanes to pass carts without signaling or slowing up traffic because their cart could go a half a mile per hour faster than the cart they were passing.

Obviously you have not lived here when declaring this stuff about "what's the hurry...you're retired!"

First of all, The Villages, like any city runs on a schedule, and there are thousands of people working and attending scheduled meetings, classes, sports events, and consultations with professionals here.

Reasonable people want to travel at the speed limit of 19.5 mph for carts, not 5 mph slower!!

When somebody is puddlin' along in the diamond lanes in one of the slow rental carts at 15mph or slower and the rest of cart traffic is going 19.5, reasonable people want/need to pass them. Most people are going somewhere for a purpose, not just sight-seeing.

The same problem shows up with people who insist on walking in a diamond lane when there is a sidewalk built for walking right beside them (and the curbs are not step downs or ups....they are sloped up/down). But many walkers will not move over, nor onto the sidewalk, when golf carts behind them cannot pass them because of the solid white line, and cars/trucks beside them on their left. Obviously the diamond lanes in the street are made for faster speeds than walking--for which the sidewalks are made--but walkers insist on walking in the street diamond lanes anyway, and golf carts cannot pass them.

It's not unreasonable to want to drive at the speed limit in a diamond lane in the street!!!!

ha ha ha....I had to laugh about the walkers in the diamond lanes. You're exactly right, that they will [sometimes] not yield to carts.

Can you imagine the posts, on here, should someone get caught driving their cart on the sidewalk ???

I would just like to say that "cowboys" are some of the most considerate and courteous people on the planet.

This "cowboy" will be there next week for a few days and will drive very careful because of reading this thread.
Maybe the slower drivers could pull to the right at road intersections like a passing lane only they move over and the passer just stays in the lane. Just thinking out loud.
Just sayin'