Who has the right of way?
 

Today I was driving a golf cart on St Charles Place - the cart path is between the curb and the vehicle lane.

A pickup pulling a trailer overtook me from the rear - I was going about 20 mph and the pickup was going about 30 mph. This was obviously a lawn care crew - mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. were in the back of the pickup and on the trailer. The pickup had a "crew cab" - four full-size doors. There was a driver and passenger in the front seat and a passenger in the right rear seat. All the windows were rolled down.

I'm describing all this because of what happened next.

A few seconds after the back of the trailer cleared me, the driver turned on his right directional signal to indicate that he was turning right onto the next side street which was only 50 feet or so ahead of us. AND the passenger in the rear seat started waving his arms - I think to indicate that he wanted me to slow down and yield to the truck/trailer.

That's what I did. I came to nearly a complete stop for a few seconds so as to not broadside the trailer. No carts were behind me. I think I did the right thing because size matters. I would have "lost" in a cart vs. pickup/trailer encounter.

I'm new to driving a cart in TV and have been thinking about this since it happened.

Who should yield in a situation like this? Who has the right of way when a vehicle in front of a cart makes a right turn onto a side street and crosses a cart path to do so?

Let's Think About This
 

Technically, you had the right of way, however, you are in a 1200 lb golf cart largely made with fiberglass and plastic. He is in a 6,000 lb truck with steel bumpers and frame. You did do the right thing and yielded. Golf cart drivers, like motorcycle drivers, need to assume that cars and trucks are not going to stop and act accordingly.

It would sem to me that since he had passed you and was making a proper turn he would have the right of way. I get concerned that when I am making a right turn with my turn signals flashing someone in a golf cart decides to pass on the right.

In any event, when they are "bigger than you" it makes sense to yield. I would also think that if he was making a proper turn and you struck the rear of his vehicle or trailer in this case, you would not only sustain damage or injury then the police would probably cite you.

But then again, I might be wrong.

Is there any situation in TV where a golf cart has right of way over a car or truck?



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Twice, at the same intersection (Calumet and Legacy), exactly the same thing happened to me. The difference was that neither time did I get any warning that they were going to turn. (no waving, no turn signal) Both times, I had to make those absolute "smash the brake pedal to the floor" emergency stops. Since there are brakes only on the back tires, both times the cart did some funky sliding sideways.

If I had had one of those souped up carts going 35 miles per hour, I wouldn't be writing this today.

I honestly don't know who has the right of way. I would have been nice, though, to have gotten at least a warning.

tomberlin has 4 wheel hydraulic brakes. will stop on a dime. thats why i dont understand all the hype about how awful street legal lsv's are.

At the golf cart school, they will tell you that 100% of the time, vehicles have the right of way over golf carts. Go back through treads on here about how sometimes a car will stop coming in the gate at Bailey Trail and allow a cart to cross. If the car is hit by another car, he is wrong. The car should never stop, the cart should always stop. Carts never have the right of way. At least that is what we were told at that school.

I was also told in TV "Orientation" way back when I was a newbie (2002) that street vehicles always have the right-of-way over carts. Street vehicles must not stop to give carts the right-of-way.

Always yield to a larger mass
 

I saw this thread and figured it was just the old car versus cart at stop signs/gates discussion, but this is different than that. I can say I honestly do not know the answer.

"seems to me" == "Alan does not know, but feels like chatting"

It seems to me the car driver has no right to "cut off" a cart as champion6 or talkhost describe. If not illegal it is certainly rude. The car should have waited for the cart if there was not room to pass and turn without making the cart stop.

This of course gets much trickier when there is a parade of carts. I would not expect the car to wait for the parade to take a right hand turn. In that case it seems to me, the car puts blinker on, the carts yield and the car "merges" a safe distance from turn.

:agree: BBQ hit it spot on.. You did the right thing!! wether or not you had the right of way, or not is not the issue. it was watching you out for number 1.... remember always " CYA " that is the most important move.. Never ASSume anything. You know what happens when people ASSume things will work like they should...

The car always has the right of way. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

Agreed that the automobile/truck always, repeat always, has the right of way. But, the cart driver must always be alert to idiots who cut corners and create unsuspected and unexpected hazards!

I can't tell the number of times a car has slowed or stopped in front of me at a crossing or gate or such location, thinking that I have the right of way! When I vigorously wave them through, they usually look at me, wondering what the h***!

My personal rule: never, ever, forget that the big guys overrule you!

:pepper2:

SWR
:beer3:

I always stay alert and look out to make sure that I am in the clear. Too many people in cars rush pass you to make the right hand turn in front of you.

The best advice is to stay alert and give the cars the right of way even if you are the one in the right.

In this particular situation, does the automobile have the right of way? Both are traveling the same direction in their prescribed lanes. suddenly, the car turns across the path of the cart.

What is the cart driver to do, stop at every through street? That's not practical, in fact it's dangerous. There is no way to know what to do. Golf cart lanes that don't have a stop sign signal to the cart driver that he has free passage through the intersection. Should there be stop signs in the golf cart lane at every intersection?


If the assertion that "cars" always have the right of way holds true, then a car stopped at a side street stop sign can proceed even though there is a cart crossing the intersection.

As time passes, there will have to be more clearly defined rules for these unusual situations. As usual, tragedies call attentions to unique circumstances.

JLK

I think they have the right of way on golf courses. Aside from that, common sense should tell us to surrender to the bigger vehicle. You may be right, but you will still get injured or worse.