[bestmickey]

I have a friend visiting TV this month. She said there were were police all over the place, ticketing golf cart drivers. She claims they were looking for drunks coming home from Mardi Gras. If true, great. Just wondering if you think it was happening.

[GMONEY]

I have seen SCSO stopping the carts before. Last weekend we were at LSL and watched a couple get into the cart, wife told the man your too drunk to drive slide over. He told her like your in any better condition. He moved over and she took off. No different than driving a car..

[Vichyssoise]

It's about time. Let's hope that the police continue enforcing the law, and treat golf carts as what they are... motor vehicles. How many of you have seen someone pull out of line and pass 3 or 4 carts at once, straining to get by them all, then finally getting to the head of the pack, only to catch the red light on Morse. I bet that felt good.

[chuckster]

Because of recent break-ins, have seen deputies in carts on the championship courses.

[faithfulfrank]

I know of a person from my home town up here who is legally blind.
She could not drive a car because of her blindness, so she moved to The Villages so she could drive everywhere on a golf cart.......

Frank D.

[dfn8tly]

There was a notice in The Daily Sun on Monday that Sumter County officers would be setting up check points looking for impaired drivers of any vehicles during Mardi Gras celebrations. A golf cart is a vehicle and is subject to the same laws as an automobile.

[Bryan]

Although I applaud all efforts to enforce traffic laws as they apply to golf carts, I do wonder how that works. No drivers license is required to drive a golf cart. Say an individual gets a DUI, or Speeding Ticket, or anything, and they have a Florida ID Card but no drivers license of any kind. What happens to them over and above the fine/jail time? They can't get points on their drivers license, their insurance rates won't go up, etc. Sort of the same applies to Handicapped Parking Spaces. Those spaces are reserved for cars - registered vehicles that pay taxes. The legally required number of handicap parking spaces in related to the number of registered vehicles (somehow, in a way I don't even pretend to understand). How can unregistered golf carts take up handicap parking spaces and what is the penalty if they do and get a ticket? Just interested because I really do not know the answers.

[rshoffer]

Originally Posted by Bryan

Although I applaud all efforts to enforce traffic laws as they apply to golf carts, I do wonder how that works. No drivers license is required to drive a golf cart. Say an individual gets a DUI, or Speeding Ticket, or anything, and they have a Florida ID Card but no drivers license of any kind. What happens to them over and above the fine/jail time? They can't get points on their drivers license, their insurance rates won't go up, etc. Sort of the same applies to Handicapped Parking Spaces. Those spaces are reserved for cars - registered vehicles that pay taxes. The legally required number of handicap parking spaces in related to the number of registered vehicles (somehow, in a way I don't even pretend to understand). How can unregistered golf carts take up handicap parking spaces and what is the penalty if they do and get a ticket? Just interested because I really do not know the answers.

Did anyone see the hysterical video going around emails on the net of the rural Southern fella who is putt-putting down a country road on a riding lawnmower; the guy is plastered, gets pulled over (apparently not for the first time) by the police (all on video), gets arrested for DUI, pitches a fit.... I wont tell you the ending. I think one can even get a DUI on a bicycle although one has to wonder where this ends??? Can you be arrested for roller-blading while drunk? How about a Segway?

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by Bryan

Although I applaud all efforts to enforce traffic laws as they apply to golf carts, I do wonder how that works. No drivers license is required to drive a golf cart. Say an individual gets a DUI, or Speeding Ticket, or anything, and they have a Florida ID Card but no drivers license of any kind. What happens to them over and above the fine/jail time? They can't get points on their drivers license, their insurance rates won't go up, etc. Sort of the same applies to Handicapped Parking Spaces. Those spaces are reserved for cars - registered vehicles that pay taxes. The legally required number of handicap parking spaces in related to the number of registered vehicles (somehow, in a way I don't even pretend to understand). How can unregistered golf carts take up handicap parking spaces and what is the penalty if they do and get a ticket? Just interested because I really do not know the answers.

I think I read someplace that they issue you a temporaery Florida Drivers License so they can process you through the courts. This temporary DR will eventually make it back to your home state. If you are a minor it will go against you when you try to get a regular drivers license in that state.

[bestmickey]

Originally Posted by faithfulfrank

I know of a person from my home town up here who is legally blind.
She could not drive a car because of her blindness, so she moved to The Villages so she could drive everywhere on a golf cart.......

Frank D.

This is frightening! It should not be allowed, but I imagine there's no way to stop it. I just hope I don't run into her ... or vice versa!

[captain1202]

I overheard a conversation at the barber shop the other day about several first and second hand recent experiences with tickets being issued by the Sherrif's office for speeding carts. I believe the basis of the Sherrif's complaint revolves around the fact that if a cart exceeds 19mph it is considered a motor vehicle which of course could open a whole variety of possible violations such unregistered, not insured, etc.,etc.. What ever the situation, I'm glad my cart only goes 19mph. Carts were never designed to exceed that speed and those that do represent a serious safety issue for those driving them as is borne out by the accidents we see on a regular basis, many of which are no doubt caused by excessive speed.

[musicman]

Originally Posted by Vichyssoise

It's about time. Let's hope that the police continue enforcing the law, and treat golf carts as what they are... motor vehicles. How many of you have seen someone pull out of line and pass 3 or 4 carts at once, straining to get by them all, then finally getting to the head of the pack, only to catch the red light on Morse. I bet that felt good.

I applaud law enforcement for this. There really needs to be better enforcement for carts AND autos. The red light/stop sign running in TV and Lady Lake is out of control.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by faithfulfrank

I know of a person from my home town up here who is legally blind.
She could not drive a car because of her blindness, so she moved to The Villages so she could drive everywhere on a golf cart.......

Frank D.

I played golf with a guy one time who had the same condition. He could not get a driver's license because he was legally blind but could drive the golf cart.

But then I found out that legally blind in some states is different than other states. Just bad vision that cannot be corrected by glasses to that state's requirements.

So who knows?