As both a bike rider and golf cart driver I wish you didn’t post this thread. I am now wondering how many golf cart drivers are considering putting car horns in their carts so they can throw an instant scare into bikers and watch them swerve off the MMP’s in fear? Those horns can work both ways. Everyone simply needs to be courteous.

Yes i have witnessed that also and you can't fix STUPID!!!!!

I prefer this also. A wave of the hand is appreciated

I have a GoPro mounted under my handlebars. If I get struck by a careless driver I hope the video proves who was at fault. I ride as far to the right as I can and when someone wants to pass me I slow down when it's safe to pass me. I had a line of 10 golf carts passing me along Meggison rd coming from Southern Oaks one day. The 4th cart passed me at a road crossing with the white post divider at the end of the trail. He squeezed past me pushing me off the trail so he could avoid hitting the post and to stay with his buddies. He didn't stop at the stop sign either. Lucky for him he didn't crash into me or he would be financially responsible for the damages.

A lot of cyclists are using cameras specifically for bicycles and video evidence is hard to beat in court.

It's not hard to believe that most people act in a courteous manner and share the paths respectful of each others safety. The few that don't are heading for trouble.

Golf carts have the same problem with cars respecting their rights and safety. I've had a car cut in front of me making a turn into a mailbox parking lot. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid an accident. I followed them into the parking lot expecting an apology. They instead told me they have the right away over golf carts and that I was supposed to stop for them to make the turn. The passenger was a "Karen" and said I was harassing her as she walked 20 feet towards my cart. She proceeded to call 911. When the police arrived they told her that her and her husband were wrong in their understanding of the law. I have the video of this discussion because I knew it would be hard to believe.

Cars also believe that golf carts are not allowed to merge at the end of a diamond lane. I had a car speed up and slam the brakes on behind me after I merged. He blew his horn and rode my bumper for the 50 ft I had before my turn into the cart path.

Eventually these close calls get someone seriously hurt or worse. That's when they realize the error in their thinking or the lack of respect for others.

Could this horn be used on bicyclers and walkers that travel two or three abreast?

and this only happens during "snowbird season".........your living under a rock

Good post---I hope it at least dispels some misconceptions that seem prevalent in The Villages. Cars do not always have the right of way over cars or bikes, it is dependent upon the situation. Likewise, if a cart and bike get into an accident, the cart driver is not automatically at fault.

Similar to you story, I was in cart headed east on Hillsborough approaching the Dunedin Pool. A car turned out of the side street right in front of me so that my cart skidded after hitting the brakes. As I resumed to return to normal speed, she then cut me off again to turn into the mailboxes. So I followed her in to have a few words, and she claimed "I didn't see you". I suggested she needs to see an eye doctor, to which she replied "I'm on my way there now":1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl: (True story about a month ago)

Wouldn’t electric bike be same as moped or motorized electric scooter. Licensed mode of transportation not allowed on MMP. O wait I forgot about LSV, we must excempt them.

Welcome to The Villages and to TOTV.
Carts are allowed to merge at the end of the diamond lane, but the merging golf cart does not have the right of way and will be at fault if there is an accident. Many drivers use caution at these merges, but there are a lot of carts that like to force there way in thinking that their out stretched arm will stop a car in it's tracks.

Over the years I notice golf carts and bicycles are a bad mix. Wish there were more bike paths in The Villages.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!!
The sign for cars at the beginning of a merge zone slows the car to 20 mph. So a golf cart going 20 with a safe lead of at least 100-150 feet has every right to merge. If there it is an accident, the CAR will be at fault, since it had to exceed the speed limit to even come close to the merging cart.

We’ll, there either impatient, rude or just brought up to think everyone should obey them. All they have to do is slow down & pass them when you can get around them safely. Seem like a lot of people are in such a big hurry to go nowhere. Yes you’re right they’re aholes because where they come from they weee probably treated like that. Some people are just nasty!

TV needs to put out a booklet explaining to newbies and outsiders that those brown bricked paths in the street around the Brownwood Square are crosswalks amongst other things like roundabouts, gates, etc...

The merging law says nothing about speed limits and half the carts are doing more than 20. I don't play chicken at the merges on either side, but the law is pretty clear: when merging, the driver who has the right-of-way is the one already traveling in the destination lane. When merging onto a highway, for example, the person doing the merging will have to yield the right-of-way to cars already on the highway.

:blahblahblah:

Sure. So your contention is that a cart has to wait at a merge point for a car that is 2 miles behind him because that car has the right of way?????? And while the "merging law" might not mention speed, a whole lot of traffic laws do. An accident is generally the fault of the last person with a reasonable chance to avoid it. The car driver in my example avoids it by following the posted speed limit.

You're getting silly about things. It's just basic traffic law 101. No, an accident is not generally the fault of the last person with a reasonable chance to avoid it. As you say wrong, wrong, wrong. An accident is the fault of the person who does not have the right of way.
Trooper Steve says this:
Some drivers in that right lane tend to sometimes speed up and close that gap available for a merger, ultimately eliminating the space for a vehicle to merge. Would this be considered following too closely? Or maybe even careless driving? Possibly.

There are a few traffic violations that could occur if someone had malicious intended to prevent someone from merging. But at the end of the day the roadway belongs to the person in that lane and the individual wanting to merge is obligated to yield right away.

I posted the loud bike horn reply, Loud Bicycle | Car horn for bikes

Topspinmo posted a disingenuous reply that ebikes are the same as mopeds, in other words these are "vehicles" that require licensure by the state and by extension should not be allowed on the MMPs.

Ebikes, by definition of the Federal Government are essentially bicycles. Motor vehicles i.e. cars, motorcycles and mopeds fall under part 49 of the US Code of Federal regulations as well as other CFR parts which define what a vehicle is.

Bicycles and electric bikes fall under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC also details what an ebike is, not any poster reading this thinks it is. In addition our Governor in the summer of 2020 signed into law a change to Florida statutes that ebikes are allowed everywhere bicycles are allowed.

I like to think my post shuts down idiotic replies but I know better...

Sorry, but Right, right, right.

From HG law----"In most instances, any driver violating traffic law will be held largely responsible for a resulting car accident. If one of the drivers is issued a citation for speeding, running a light, or another violation, he or she will most likely be primarily at fault, and carry the heaviest burden of the resulting liability."

So, a car that is 150 feet behind a cart near the merge point where the speed limit is 20 that hits a cart was SPEEDING and therefore AT FAULT. PERIOD, no room for debate.

Next , the law does not assign a "right of way", it describes who must yield it

And third, if 2 miles is "silly" how far behind the merge point do you think a car must be in order to be required to yield?????

Have you ever investigated a traffic accident? I didn't think so. End of story.

Have you ever studied Newtonian physics. End of story. Well not really, so I'll explain it to you:

1) A car going 20 cannot hit a cart going 20 that is ahead of it even 1 millimeter, but since that is a bit close, I used 100-150 feet.

2) A car that does hit a cart under those circumstances was going in excess of 20

3) The speed limit for cars in the merge zone is 20

4) ERGO: A car that hits a cart that was ahead of him in the merge zone was speeding, violating the law and therefore AT FAULT. Get it now?

The drunk bike riders are a real risk !!

No, but I investigated accidents and wrote tickets. You can come up with all the scenarios you want, but the onus is on the merging vehicle. Chapter 316-085(2).

Fine, then we are right back to the waiting for a car 2 miles back scenario. There has to be a distance at which a cart can merge even when a car is somewhere in the vicinity. The standard might be "safely", but that is open to interpretation.
If I cite the statute you referred to, 316.085(2)---
"(2) No vehicle shall be driven from a direct course in any lane on any highway until the driver has determined that the vehicle is not being approached or passed by any other vehicle in the lane or on the side to which the driver desires to move and that the move can be completely made with safety and without interfering with the safe operation of any vehicle approaching from the same direction."
That seems open to interpretation as well. It would seem from that wording that a cart is entitled to merge safely ahead of a vehicle in the through lane as long as they don't "cut him off" or perform an otherwise unsafe merge. I'm not disputing your expertise or experience as a traffic investigator, my point was only directed at those who felt that a car ALWAYS has the right of way. A car cutting across the cart lane to make a right turn is a perfect example of the cart having the right of way (or better stated, a car required to yield the right of way)

It may cause problems. It already has 5 pages of comments. I notice golf carts speeding by on my residential street. It appears that a lot of golf cart owners have illegally increased their vehicle's governor or jacked up their injector pump to attain higher speeds. I don't see any Police monitoring Golf cart speed and ticketing them. That may be happening in other neighborhoods? Yesterday we had pictures of the small alcohol bottles strewn around TV Land.
.......When I ask myself - how and WHY this general attitude of recklessness has taken hold of the US and especially in an older gated community of conservative people? People seem to be recently prone to ALL forms of reckless behavior including speeding. In this case, they seem ENTITLED to own the community trails in a childish, "we don't stop for nobody" regression to 1st-grade egotistic philosophy. Other known statistics on reckless behavior are crime and murder increase, more physical confrontations with flight attendants, more drug and alcohol abuse, and many others that I won't bother to list. So WHY is this happening now?
......."The answer my friend" IS in looking at the BIG PICTURE!

Under the laws of virtually every state in the nation, including Florida, ebikes are to be considered bicycles in almost every situation. Many places do limit speeds for ebikes, generally 20 mph.

Florida Traffic Law is the vaguest there is. That could be why there's so much litigation here, and commercials.

A crazy golf cart driver passed me as I was riding my bike over the Sumter Landing bridge which has a solid yellow stripe. The path is very narrow and has a 10 mph speed limit. There was on coming traffic (golf cart and a bike rider) , the bike rider was waving his arm frantically as he was heading straight for the passing cart. I was peddling the speed limit and was shocked and frightened when a golf cart passed me, he came within 3” and almost side swiped me! I caught up with him at a traffic light and lost it!!! I came to The Village’s, bought a home, solely to bike ride…I’m so tired OF THE AHOLES WITH THEIR BETTER THAN THOU ATTITUDE. Never in my 70 years of biking have I heard so many grunts and groans.

Somebody has to pay Dan Newlin:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Back to the topic of this thread which is aggressive cart drivers playing chicken with cyclist on MMP

My experience today from a ride that I just completed. Four uses of an automotive horn over 18.3 miles of MMPs, bike paths, bridges, tunnels and quiet surface streets where the only option for anyone is the road.

I was operating a cargo bike (it is designed to carry weight). Cargo bikes are not trick bikes, designed to climb mountains, gravel roads, or win any speed race. I took it grocery shopping. That is a pretty low risk endeavor by any measure.

I sounded the horn to two cars which I could not confirm the driver was aware of me and I feared they would hit me.

The other two were situations where I communicated my desire that the operator STOP what they were doing because they were placing ME in immediate danger by their actions.

One was a car backing out of a parking spot and not checking their surroundings. Result: driver heard me and stopped.

The second was a cart passing recklessly. This idiot decided the second sharp 90 degree turn after crossing behind a village entrance was an excellent place to pass. Result: the idiot gritted his teeth and continued on passing but the cart being passed slowed to allow him to pass. It's a good thing as I was leaning into that 90 degree turn at 17 mph and in no position to maneuver around the idiot on my bike that doesn't do quick turns.

I am pleased with my horn. This is JUST ONE bike ride. Just ponder how tired you get of this when you ride thousands of miles a year.

I found out about that the hard way when I 1st got to TV Land. The ambassadors descended on me as if I were a Terrorist intent on exterminating a golfer (I guess that is illegal). I went back and looked to see if there was a LARGE sign saying no bicycles. That was many years ago so they may have put up one since?

Being in a large group may improve safety, but it doesn't guarantee it. I recall somewhere in Florida where a car driver had a heat attack and hit about 10 bicycle riders in a pack.

Aha!!!! A weapon of mass destruction.........(Not really funny but couldn't pass it up either. Sorry.)

Good for you! We plan on biking a lot when we're there as well. I won't put up with those unsafe idiots either. We all have the right to use the MM lanes safely. I'll have no problem telling them to F**k off.

But that said, bikers, walkers and runners need to courtious too.

I bike here, but load up my bike and go south, not a fan of riding on the roads. Today in my cart, I stopped at end of tunnel looked both ways, waiting for a bicycle to go by. Path goes up slight incline, bike was 10 feet in front of me, the women fell over. I stopped immediately as did the other 3 carts behind me, with no issues.

The bicyclists still staring at her bike just stood there, not try to pick it up, or move out of the path. Now traffic is stopped all the way through the tunnel, and oncoming lane, due to bike in the middle of the path.

Since all carts were at a standstill and not in danger of exiting my cart, myself and cart behind got out to help. She needed someone to pick up her bike, and walk it up the hill, because she usually falls over going up hills. Her words, not mine.

Some should not be out alone.

Thats terrible none of the other bikers would help her.

I agree with the discussion of Ebikes. Many are limited to 20mph and most riders can NOT pedal them faster than 15 MPH even with the Emotor's boost. A young biker on a regular bike can go 15 MPH. Ebikes tend to be popular with older riders because it allows them to increase their biking range and get up hills that they could go up easily when they were age 25, but is very difficult for them at age 70.

Biker right away and safety
 

As members of the Sumter Bike Club we are told to "own the path" so we dont get run off into the edge of the pavement where tires can get caught causing an accident. Golf cars in a hurry can go into the grass and pass without safety worries like this.

Yes, the question isn’t clear. Many people refer to both by the same name, which is incorrect.

She Couldn’t keep up with the group. She definitely didn’t belong on a road, or a path. Not the first time I have encountered a person riding a bike that shouldn’t be.

Couple weeks ago just past Laurel Manor, watched a man become very wobbly, and fell while riding with a group. Almost took out couple other riders. Very lucky a car wasn’t in the lane next to them, or it would have been a very sad outcome.