[Chatbrat]

A golf cart ran a stop sign & ran into the side of a Toyota--Guess who won ? Guess who lost ? If you drive a golf cart--get seat belts ASAP--you may have saved your life and $25K helicopter flight that's not covered by insurance

[Nucky]

Part of the Allure of The Villages is The Golf Cart Lifestyle. There is no way that any sane person could deny that it is dangerous. It's dangerous to come out of your house, ride a bicycle, walk, Etc. Etc. Etc. We all have decisions to make about how much risk we want to take. Obviously many many people see the risk to be one worth taking. That includes me. I don't discount yours and other posters warning about the danger but have made a decision to roll the dice and live in the slow lane so to speak. The only time I'm really concerned big time is between 466 & the gate near the Hospital on Morse. You are just a sitting duck to car & truck traffic ruining your life.

There is no way that either person involved in this unfortunate ACCIDENT chose to be involved. It wasn't an on PURPOSE. It was a terrible accident. I feel for all involved and take it as a lesson to be a little more careful and to take the available driver improvement class that I've been threatening to do for the past year. I've seen some driving antics lately that were just remarkable.

I have now stopped taking calls over the cars speaker system while we're moving or engaging in any conversation of substance that would distract me. I have to be my first line of defense against a preventable mistake.

[Marathon Man]

Two good posts. One that goes to protecting yourself. One that goes to preventing harm to others.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Nucky

Part of the Allure of The Villages is The Golf Cart Lifestyle. There is no way that any sane person could deny that it is dangerous. It's dangerous to come out of your house, ride a bicycle, walk, Etc. Etc. Etc. We all have decisions to make about how much risk we want to take. Obviously many many people see the risk to be one worth taking. That includes me. I don't discount yours and other posters warning about the danger but have made a decision to roll the dice and live in the slow lane so to speak. The only time I'm really concerned big time is between 466 & the gate near the Hospital on Morse. You are just a sitting duck to car & truck traffic ruining your life.

There is no way that either person involved in this unfortunate ACCIDENT chose to be involved. It wasn't an on PURPOSE. It was a terrible accident. I feel for all involved and take it as a lesson to be a little more careful and to take the available driver improvement class that I've been threatening to do for the past year. I've seen some driving antics lately that were just remarkable.

I have now stopped taking calls over the cars speaker system while we're moving or engaging in any conversation of substance that would distract me. I have to be my first line of defense against a preventable mistake.

The OP stated the golf cart ran a stop sign. That person chose to break the law and caused this unfortunate accident. This accident could have been avoided if the rules of the road were obeyed.

From where I sit, the OP was trying to make a point to add seat belts to your golf cart if you don't already have them. That is excellent advice and that is what I came away with from the original post.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

A golf cart ran a stop sign & ran into the side of a Toyota--Guess who won ? Guess who lost ? If you drive a golf cart--get seat belts ASAP--you may have saved your life and $25K helicopter flight that's not covered by insurance

Why did insurance not cover the helicopter flight?

Don

[Chatbrat]

Medicare only covers a portion of the flight, same goes for ambulance costs--check your coverage

[Velvet]

When we were on our Lifestyle visit, we came across a golf cart with 2 occupants inside lying on its side on the road. My husband stopped the car and with the help of a couple of passing pedestrians turned the cart right side up with the occupants still inside. They said thank you, and drove off like nothing had happened. They were both wearing seat belts.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

The OP stated the golf cart ran a stop sign. That person chose to break the law and caused this unfortunate accident. This accident could have been avoided if the rules of the road were obeyed.

From where I sit, the OP was trying to make a point to add seat belts to your golf cart if you don't already have them. That is excellent advice and that is what I came away with from the original post.

It was an accident as far as I've read about it. Nowhere did I see it said that the person wanted to or planned to break the law. Everybody wants to obey the rules unfortunately mistakes happen. I wouldn't move my car or any truck I did drive several years back without my seatbelt but choose to not wear the seatbelt in the Golf Cart. I am over the age of 21 and it's my decision and I don't have to explain it to nobody for any reason. It is my personal preference. If you question my judgement hooray for you. It will feel good for a couple of minutes. I wanna be able to bail out if necessary or if we drove into or were force into a pond. Golf Cart Seat Belts aren't for everyone. I had the belts installed for other adults who use my cart.

If you feel like this about my post I don't give a Fig Newton!

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

Medicare only covers a portion of the flight, same goes for ambulance costs--check your coverage

Medicare Part B only covers 80 percent of any covered expense. Most people have a Medicare supplement to cover the other 20 percent. Is a helicopter transport charge treated differently?

[Chatbrat]

I know what I Googled,

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Medicare Part B only covers 80 percent of any covered expense. Most people have a Medicare supplement to cover the other 20 percent. Is a helicopter transport charge treated differently?

Maybe it depends on if you broke the law on purpose or if you didn't have your seatbelt on you have to pay the entire tab.

[Bjeanj]

Taken from Medicare-what’s covered:
Medicare may pay for emergency ambulance transportation in an airplane or helicopter to a hospital if you need immediate and rapid ambulance transportation that ground transportation can’t provide.

As noted above, Medicare would pay 80%, supplement would pay rest. Nothing is stated about an “at fault” accident.

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by Nucky

It was an accident as far as I've read about it. Nowhere did I see it said that the person wanted to or planned to break the law. Everybody wants to obey the rules unfortunately mistakes happen. I wouldn't move my car or any truck I did drive several years back without my seatbelt but choose to not wear the seatbelt in the Golf Cart. I am over the age of 21 and it's my decision and I don't have to explain it to nobody for any reason. It is my personal preference. If you question my judgement hooray for you. It will feel good for a couple of minutes. I wanna be able to bail out if necessary or if we drove into or were force into a pond. Golf Cart Seat Belts aren't for everyone. I had the belts installed for other adults who use my cart.

If you feel like this about my post I don't give a Fig Newton!

Gingersnap!

[John_W]

My first month here in Tamarind Grove on my street, Southern Star Way which connects to St. Charles, a very busy two lane road a golf cart driver was killed. That golf cart driver was headed up St. Charles doing what was legal, driving in his golf cart lane, going under 20 mph. A landscaper in pickup truck pulling a trailer of lawn equipment pulled through the stop sign and pulled out right in front of that golf cart.

On the otherhand, too many cart drivers drive too fast. In parking lots especially. I always consider a person, a dog, a child running out from between parked cars, can I stop my cart quickly at 15 or 20 mph, the answer is no. I try and drive 5 to 10 mph and also through my CYV neighborhood, same thing, people, kids, a ball, a dog can run out of a driveway without you seeing until it's too late. Take it down to 10 mph or less when in parking lots or villa communities. I see drivers fly through our villas almost going around corners on 2 wheels, and it's not the kids, seniors driving like that.

As far as the roadways, the biggest problem is carts in a golf cart lane on a busy street, such as St. Charles, Pinellas or Hillsborough and someone pulls out of a side street and the cart hits the side of the vehicle, just like in the event I described above when a man was killed. I stare at the driver's faces, eyes, and make they see if they see me, and if I'm not sure, I slow down even though I'm in the right and in my lane, 20 mph into the side of a car is bad. It's called defensive driving and I do it in my car as well, that why I've never had an accident and I've been driving since 1965.

I learned to drive in St. Petersburg, the town Johnny Carson called "the city of the walking dead". I even drove a motorcycle for a year so, when you learn to drive in an atmosphere of retirees, you learn quickly that defensive driving will keep you safer.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

-get seat belts ASAP--you may have saved your life and $25K helicopter flight that's not covered by insurance

That would depend on your insurance coverage. NOT THAT I WANT TO TEST IT OUT but ours covers any/all **NECESSARY** transportation and it specifically INCLUDES air evac.