[bestmickey]

There have been many discussions/questions re: golf carts, their legal speed limits, Florida statutes, etc.
If you really want to know the Florida law(s), when you're bored you can go to this site and enter your topic of interest.


http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/ind...2&Tab=statutes

[Frangyomory]

One law that is constantly broken in the Villages and surrounding areas is the handicapped parking rule.

Villagers who have handicapped placards for their cars constantly use the handicapped parking spaces in and around the Villages. The law is that a vehicle must be ROAD WORTHY to be eligible for handicapped parking. The fact that the driver has a handicapped placard does NOT entitle them to park their golf cart in a handicap space. The only vehicles other than cars, etc. are the golf carts like GEM cars that can be driven on the roads and have a state vehicle license.

I for one am tired of these golf cart drivers assuming that they can park in handicapped spaces. I just wish the sheriff's department would ticket these vehicles.

Yes, I do drive a car and am entitled to handicapped parking due to severe back and leg issues and get tired of looking for a parking space near the store only to see golf carts in handicapped spaces! :edit:

[chacam]

BestMickey--Nowhere in Chapter 316 is there any mention (that I could find, and I have been there several times looking for this information) of golf cart speed limits or modified carts. Please tell me the statutes that I am looking for and where I can find them.

[villager99]

the sumter county sherriff department sdvices that golf carts abide by all motor vehicle laws including using legally issued handicap placards to park in handicap parking places.
as a handicap person with a legally issued handicap placard where else would people suggest i park my golf cart?
i would welcome links to specific florida statutes.
jan

[bestmickey]

Originally Posted by chacam

BestMickey--Nowhere in Chapter 316 is there any mention (that I could find, and I have been there several times looking for this information) of golf cart speed limits or modified carts. Please tell me the statutes that I am looking for and where I can find them.

Sorry chacam. I'm not a lawyer and I'm not familiar with Florida laws. I only wanted to share the website so that those who are interested can search the site for themselves. You will need to do your own leg-work. Suggestion to you is that rather than entering "golf carts" in the search site, why don't you try entering "speed limits" or "golf cart speed limits" and see if that gets you to the statute you seek. If you do find the statute, please share it with us. Good luck!

[chacam]

Actually, it isn't in Chapter 316. I found it in Chapter 320. And it doesnt say anything about speed limits, only that a golf cart is defined as a motor vehicle that is not capable of exceeding 20 MPH. So, I guess over 20 MPH, you are treated just as if you were driving a car. How about for example the golf cart path down 466. It is very easy for fast carts to exceed 20 MPH, but the path isn't a road or a county highway, so does the 20 MPH speed limit apply there as well?

[bestmickey]

OK....I got curiouser and curiouser (is that a word?), so I did a little dig. I now recognize that Flordia State Government sure doesn't make it easy to find the laws. :dontknow: If I did the dig correctly, it appears you need to know what year the legislative bill was created for each applicable statute, in order to locate it. ??? Heck, in New York you can search our laws quite easily. Of course, maybe I can search NYS laws easily because I've lived here all my life and I worked for state government for 38 years. ::

You can read the statute, approved by the Governor on May 13, 1999, but I specifically refer you to page 2,
320.01 (22) which states:

"Golf Cart" means a motor vehicle that is designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting or recreational purposes and that is not capable of exceeding speeds of 20 miles per hour.

Since this clearly defines that a golf cart doesn't exceed 20 miles per hour, I expect this is the "final answer". If any of you find a different statute that illustrates that golf carts go faster than 20 miles per hour, please share it with the rest of us. While we know in reality that golf carts are being altered to travel faster than 20 mph, they are not (legally) defined in statute.

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/pdf/.../ch_99-163.pdf

[chacam]

So, I guess that a golf cart that exceeds 20 MPH is a motor vehicle? It is confusing. I am lucky if my piddling cart reaches 18 downhill. I asked a deputy about this sometime ago and he didn't know. Imagine that ! !

I'm still looking for the statute that says it is illegal to alter factory equipment as Talkhost states.

Best Mickey, where in NY? I'm from upstate.

[bestmickey]

Originally Posted by chacam

So, I guess that a golf cart that exceeds 20 MPH is a motor vehicle? It is confusing. I am lucky if my piddling cart reaches 18 downhill. I asked a deputy about this sometime ago and he didn't know. Imagine that ! !

I'm still looking for the statute that says it is illegal to alter factory equipment as Talkhost states.

Best Mickey, where in NY? I'm from upstate.

I don't think a golf cart that exceeds 20 mph is a motor vehicle. It's still a golf cart...just an illegal(ly) altered one.

I'm in Albany. Planning to move to TV one year from now. Where are you?

[chacam]

Been here 2 yrs, orig from Oswego

[chacam]

More info here:

http://www.ladylake.org/Police%20Dep...rtpamphlet.pdf

[bestmickey]

Originally Posted by chacam

More info here:

http://www.ladylake.org/Police%20Dep...rtpamphlet.pdf

Good Find!

[bimmertl]

"Chief Ed', in his pamphlet, seems to stretch his logic without referencing any controlling statute. He references 320.01 and somehow comes to the conclusion that is a "restriction". Actually all it appears to be is a definition of what Florida considers to be a golf cart.

Then, without any legal reference at all, he states "It should be noted that it is illegal for a manufacturer or dealer" to alter a cart. I guess it's OK for anybody else (body shop, individual, filling station, etc. etc) to do it.

Lastly, he states violations of this "restriction" could result in charging against a "person or company"' modifying said vehicle?? What?

Sounds like the law according to Chief Ed?

[JohnZ]

Oh yeah!! 50.5 mile an hour record in an electric golf cart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjRPM...elated&search=

[Hancle704]

:cop:
If you have your golf cart covered in your Homeowners policy an you are with Villages Insurance, give them a call and ask what happens if you are involved in /cause an accident while operating a modified golf cart capable of speeds in excess of 20MPH. One of their agents spoke at a club meeting in TV and basically indicated that your application for coverage was fraudulent and claim may not be honored.

The ability to get somewher in TV 5 minutes sooner is hardly worth the price. You might also be concerned about a "golf cart" that has been souped up and has not done anything to improve its braking ability or stability to prevent rollovers.