[Buffalo Ray]

While I totally understand that we should stay in the cart lanes as designated by the diamonds, what are the "official" rules/laws on passing? Are we allowed to sugnal, cross the solid white line, enter the automotive lane and pass slower vehicles/cyclists?

I was recently told that there is a large fine ($180) for crossing the solid white line to pass. I find this hard to believe.

Does anyone know with certainty?

Thank you in advance.

[memason]

Originally Posted by Buffalo Ray

While I totally understand that we should stay in the cart lanes as designated by the diamonds, what are the "official" rules/laws on passing? Are we allowed to sugnal, cross the solid white line, enter the automotive lane and pass slower vehicles/cyclists?

I was recently told that there is a large fine ($180) for crossing the solid white line to pass. I find this hard to believe.

Does anyone know with certainty?

Thank you in advance.

Ray.... I'm no expert here, but I have lived here for more than a year and I can tell you, folks in carts cross that white line all the time. For example, if you are making a left turn, you would merge into the auto lane to make the turn. Turning left from the cart lane is not advisable. As for passing....I pass all the time in the auto lane.

Not sure who told you about the large fine, but thats the first I have ever heard of anything like that...

Just my opinion... Others might be different.

[jsw14]

I agree with memason, I drive just like that. No tickets here!!!!

[cappyjon431]

I am certainly no expert but I tend to agree with the previous posters. That being said, I think passing other carts makes you more visible to law enforcement and may increase the possibility of being pulled over IF your cart is souped up and exceeds the 19.9 mph cart speed limit. That would lead to a fairly substantial fine.

[pooh]

Alas, a friend I golf with tells me of her friend who did get a ticket for crossing that solid white line.....$150 fine. What I haven't found out is what county she was ticketed in. I'll try and find out this week when we're playing golf.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by Buffalo Ray

While I totally understand that we should stay in the cart lanes as designated by the diamonds, what are the "official" rules/laws on passing? Are we allowed to sugnal, cross the solid white line, enter the automotive lane and pass slower vehicles/cyclists?

I was recently told that there is a large fine ($180) for crossing the solid white line to pass. I find this hard to believe.

Does anyone know with certainty?

Thank you in advance.

Buffalo Ray: I assume you are speaking of golf cart lanes such as you find on Canal, Morse, Bailey Trail, etc. Assuming this correct then your answer isthat you are suppose to stay within the white line and curb while traveling. As you will ote these cart lanes have merging lines when approaching an intersection such as Canal at Odell. I use both my hand and mechanical signal to alert cars that I am merging. Please note a word of caution as cars seem to not want to stay behind a cart and speed by them to cut ahead.

Haing said that you will encounter extremely slow carts much slower than the 19.5 mph allowed. You will also encounter slow bike riders and finally runners who refuse to use sidewalks and demand use of cartpaths on major roads. So that staying within the solid white line that I talked about...well its your choice pass by them or decelerate

[ldj1938]

Rental carts are set to 12 MPH. How far would you follow one of those? Not far I bet....

[NotGolfer]

Our golf-cart goes the regulated 19.9 MPH speed. We get passed all the time by carts that are MUCH faster (and not necessarily road-ready). I would venture to say...if a police-officer watched that he just might pull the "passer" over to write a citation. Got passed by one the other day and he left us "in the dust" and didn't see a license plate to indicate he was road-ready!! I don't believe you'd get a ticket just by going over the solid line...only "if" you were doing something else that wasn't within the law.

[homeball]

There has been an instance or two where a police car happened to be at a distance behind a golf cart which was traveling in the golf cart lane as it should be. But then the golf cart driver decides to pass another golf cart or whatever which is traveling slower than him in the golf cart lane. So, he pulls out into the auto traffic lane but he is not aware that the deputy is back a bit behind him, so he proceeds to pass the slower cart BUT IN DOING SO HE ACCELERATES TO A SPEED GREATER THAN THE ALLOWED 19.5 MPH to complete his pass. In other words he has a souped up cart. The deputy hits his radar, gets a read on the speed of the passing golf cart and, guess what, it's ticket time.

At another time, the deputy observes a golf cart pulling out into the traffic lane in an unsafe manner in the deputy's judgement and a ticket is issued.

It's important to remember that, when one crosses the white line of the golf cart lane and pulls out into vehicular traffic, one is putting the spotlight on themselves if there happens to be police in the vicinity. There isn't any problem as long as you're doing everything by the rule book. Rule of thumb: always be aware of your surroundings before you get busy.

[CharTalk]

I have been trying to find a list of laws related to the use of golf carts in The Villages. I wonder why they aren't readily available. It seems to me that when you buy a golf cart here, you should either be given a printed copy of laws or at least information on where you could find them.

I have heard that you can be ticketed for leaving the golf cart lane to pass a slower vehicle. This doesn't make sense to me if you are 1) still going the speed limit, 2) don't cut off another vehicle and 3) use the proper signals, Reading the posts on this subject from 2009 no one seemed to really know. So I'll ask again. Anyone know anything on this subject?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by CharTalk

I have been trying to find a list of laws related to the use of golf carts in The Villages. I wonder why they aren't readily available. It seems to me that when you buy a golf cart here, you should either be given a printed copy of laws or at least information on where you could find them.

I have heard that you can be ticketed for leaving the golf cart lane to pass a slower vehicle. This doesn't make sense to me if you are 1) still going the speed limit, 2) don't cut off another vehicle and 3) use the proper signals, Reading the posts on this subject from 2009 no one seemed to really know. So I'll ask again. Anyone know anything on this subject?

Here is some information for you. Brochure on golf cart safety provided by the HOA.
http://www.districtgov.org/community...rtBrochure.pdf

[paulandjean]

No you will not get a ticket for crossing over the white line.Think of it this way, the white lines are put there for the automobile use not the golf cart use.

[buggyone]

Instead of asking on TOTV, why not call the Sumter County sheriff's office and find out from the source. If possible, visit the office and get it in writing per the regulation.

[rubicon]

A golf cart is not a motor vehicle but neither is a bicycle yet operators must abide by the Rules of the road. Police issue tickets for "unsafe passing" not passing. One major violation on the cart paths is atttributed to those who refuse to stop when approaching a barrier in their lane of traffic. specifically if the lane in which you are traveling is occupied by a pedestrian and a cart is approaching from the opposite direction the operator with the obstruction has the obligation to slow down or stop. However I have yet to see one cart even slow down but instead pull to the center of the cart path passing at the same time as the cart traveling in the opposite direction. Being aware of these rude drivers when I note a pedestrian in the opposite lane I prepare myself to slow down or stop to prevent any potential accidents. The rules of the road apply to all vehicles including signaling ,etc.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by buggyone

Instead of asking on TOTV, why not call the Sumter County sheriff's office and find out from the source. If possible, visit the office and get it in writing per the regulation.

Because here you get many, many different opinions.