If your golf cart exceeds 19 miles per hour, you lose
 

your insurance coverage. If you have an unregistered non street legal cart that goes 23 miles per hour, or if you have souped it up to go 30, your insurance company will stick its nose up in the air if you file a claim.

Let's hope the claim isn't a million dollars.

Check it out with your agent.

I heard this story when I attended a Villages golf cart safety clinic. The Allstate agent who was there got up and said it.

I spent over 33 years in the auto claims field. I have participated in writing auto policy language for a major carier. There is no such exclusionary language in any policy that I am aware of. I know for a fact it's not in my policy.

I wanted to talk to the agent after the meeting but there were so many people lined up with questions I didn't bother.

Without writing a never ending diatribe that most readers won't understand, ask the agent or person who makes such claims regarding modified golf carts to point out and qoute the specific policy language that voids coverage if the vehicle is modified. While the vehicle would most likely be rated improperly, resulting in less premium than what should be charged, it's not going to void the policy.

Don't just don't take "it's not covered" as an explanation, ask for the specific policy language which is the basis for such a statement. I'll bet there isn't any.

Once you acceed 19 miles per hour, it's no longer a golf cart. My information comes from an attorney who specializes in golf cart claims

Please cite the relevant statutes regarding this claim?

I'm just trying to understand if I'm covered or not. I heard the same claim from the Allstate lady.

So even if my golf cart can go faster, but I opt to keep it under 19 MPH, are you saying that I'm covered? How would they know how fast I was going? The speedometer in my car goes to 140 MPH, but I don't often drive at that speed!

We were told something similar by a golf cart sales person (hence it may not be reliable). He said that if you are caught going more than 19.5 mph in a "golf cart", that you will lose your golf cart status and be treated by the law as if you were traveling in an LSV. Hence, your ticket will not be just for speeding but also driving an unregistered vehicle with no license plate. Seems a bit harsh, but I would like to know if this is true or not.

Check with your agent. That's the best source of information. What I say is irrelevant. Or you may just ignore the issue.

The following link provides information on Florida Laws for LSVs and Golf Carts.

www.starelectriccars.com/Florida%20Law.htm

Hope this helps clear up the confusion.

Here is what appears to be a relevant definition from Florida stautes:
Hence, it would appear to be within the letter of the law to declare your "golf cart" that goes more than 20 mph a "Low speed Vehicle" by virtue of the fact that its top speed is greater than 20 mph. Therefore, it may be plausible for being ticked for lack of registration/licesing/insurance if your "golf cart" is caught going more than 20 mph.

Maybe a technical minuae but .........
 

This may be very unimportant. but the previous post cited that a golf cart is , " .... any motorized vehicle....." I have no motor, just batteries. Does it still apply?

You have a battery powered electric motor.........

I'm neither a lawyer or an insurance man, but just for discussion, maybe an electric motor qualifies as motorized.

This isn't about statutes, it's about an insurance policy. It's important to recognize they are two entirely different things.

My golf cart is insured on a "recreational vehicle" policy. The policy defines a "recreational vehicle" as a "motorized all terrain vehicle, amphibious vehicle, dune buggy, golfmobile, snowmobile or trail or minibike". It's a modified auto policy designed to insure the vehicles mentioned. The described vehicle on the policy is a 2006 Yamaha golf cart.

So the golf cart meets the definition of a rec vehicle for coverage purposes. There is no language in the policy stating "this coverage does not apply if the described vehilce has been modified to exceed the speed of some, or most or a few golf carts or if it needs to be licensed. There is no policy exclusion, endorsement or definiton that strips coverage for a golf cart that goes 20.1 MPH.

In addition, if you golf cart goes 19mph it's already been modified to go faster than the factory set speed which is 12-14mph. So according to this "theory" it's already in violation of the non existent policy language.

Have your attorney friend who "specializes" in golf cart claims recite the policy language. It's clear he doesn't specialize in insurance coverage issues.

The statements that you will be ticketed for not registering an LSV are true. However, this isn't about violations of the motor vehicle code or statutes, we are discussing coverage on an insurance policy.

What's next, the med pay section of the policy contains "death panel" language?

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

(42) "Low-speed vehicle" means any four-wheeled electric vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 miles per hour but not greater than 25 miles per hour, including neighborhood electric vehicles. Low-speed vehicles must comply with the safety standards in 49 C.F.R. s. 571.500 and s. 316.2122.

If your Golf Cart is capable of going more than 20 miles per hour it is classified as a LSV.


(2) A low-speed vehicle must be equipped with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and vehicle identification numbers.

(3) A low-speed vehicle must be registered and insured in accordance with s. 320.02.

(4) Any person operating a low-speed vehicle must have in his or her possession a valid driver's license.

The two issues are intertwined in that if you are going above speeds allowed by a golf cart, your insurer may invalidate your policy (and I say "may" in the sense that I see it as a possibility that they could do such a thing) .

The other issue is how the state views it. It is quite clear that any vehicle capable of going above 20 mph may no longer be classified as a golf cart and must therefore comply with LSV regulations, including insurance requirements.