Although this involves automobiles, the same physics apply...to golf carts.






And here's a layman's explanation...that corroborates the Mythbuster's test.

Head-on collision math



:ho:

The impact *speed* is doubled. If one car sat there unmoving, it would take an hour for the car at 60mph to reach that car while driving 60mph, if the cars started 60 miles away from each other. If each car was moving toward each other at 60mph, the moment of impact would occur at a rate of 120mph - in other words, it'd only take 1/2 hour before the two of them collided.

So the speed of impact is 120mph.

HOWEVER

Because each car takes 50% of the impact to itself, the resulting impact damage is still at the 60mph rate.

Agree, the deceleration of each golf cart going at 20 mph in a head on is only 20 mph. Anyways, not advisable to try it out.
I wonder how safe are golf carts compared to scooters, anyone use both?

Most important-- a crash that you could survive @ 30 years of age , will most likely kill you if your are 60 +

Not sure why you posted this
 

I suggest you look it up. Two cars, carts each going 20 mph on a head on is the same as a car hitting a wall going 40mph. For a pending impact, you chance of survival is far improved if you can hit something that will move like a bush of a glancing blow.

I'll join the conversation. So, both are true. In the example, the front of the golf cart experiences a 40mph colision. However, your body is traveling 20mph. The deceleration force would be 20 - 0, not 40 - 0.

If you click on the links in Post #41, take the time to watch the video and read the article...it will explain the actual facts. :ho:



...

Sorry, you are wrong. The deceleration experienced with two identical carts hitting each other head-on at 20 mph is the same as a single cart hitting a wall at 20 mph. The carts will decelerate to 0 mph in either case. In other words, in the case of two carts heading each other head-on, neither cart will move forward of the spot of the collision, just like if a cart hit a wall.

I like the reasonings here, I’m learning.

Less unsafe (I wouldn't say safer, because that assumes either of them are "safe" in the first place).

I was in a moped accident in the 1980's. Best friend driving, me on the back. Neither of us with a helmet. Wrong way on a 1-way street into a major intersection without stopping. Hit the front passenger door of a car that was travelling on the main road.

Best friend: broken neck, extensive internal injuries. End result: died a few days later.

Me: broken clavicle (collar bone), radius and ulna (forearm), femur (thigh bone), three ribs, contusions along the left side of my body, spine trauma, split lip, loosened front teeth. End result: surgery to repair arm and leg, then surgery a year later to remove the steel rod and plates. Veneers that had to be replaced with a 6-tooth bridge, osteoporosis in my hip, osteopenia in my spine, and a crooked collarbone.

I'm guessing the injuries wouldn't have been nearly as extensive, if we hadn't flipped over the moped and instead were just knocked out of the golf cart.

Ouch! That sounds like really something.

Not to dispute either side, but if the impact force of 2 objects colliding is the same as the speed of each object, not the total of each, how does bat speed impact a hit baseball? Is there a different physical theory involved?

Not teasing, just not sure!

Besides differences in the masses and velocities of the bat and baseball, a hit baseball is an example of an elastic collision (mostly) while two golf carts colliding (in the example being discussed they have the same mass and velocity) is an example of an inelastic collision (mostly). There are plenty of websites that will discuss this topic.

Your info is out of date; the debate about seat belts in golf carts was settled a while ago - pro seat belts. This is because they keep you from being thrown out of your cart to the concrete where you hit your head and likely die.

Also, brain shear as a result of poor connective tissue as we age could make you wish you would have died in an accident , my wife's nephew is now 32 with no short term memory, his real life & future ended when he was 18

My heart and prayers are with that family. That said our cart not only has seat belts but we also installed a regular vehicular car seat for our three year old grandson. It really bothers me to see young children being “held” . In an accident a golf cart can be more dangerous than any car. Our grandson completely accepted the idea since that is how he must travel in a car.
That said, the family has my love and prayers. An accident; pure and simple. Nobody intended for that to happen.

How about seat belts on bicycles? Ggggggggeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz. Calm down!

The cart did have seat belts and the one little girl was in a child seat and was not injured at all. The other was hurt and broke the windshield out when the cart hit the end of the tunnel , the father was ejected when the cart hit the curb just before the tunnel and was unconscious face down in the middle of the golf cart trail. my wife and I were the second ones on the scene. My wife went to the children and I went the father who had some serious head injuries. the seat belt on the left side was buckled behind the father and his daughter as there were only two seat belts and three people in the seat, so when the cart hit the curb the father was ejected and the cart continued about 30 to 40 feet and hit the end of the tunnel with the two right wheels up on the dirt straddling the curb on the south bound side of the cart trail. One child was injured the one in the belted child seat was not . Both the father and his beautiful little girl were transported to the hospital. Oh in case you are wondering I am a retired Major accident investigator

This is the week when you see children driving Carts, more than any season

Thanks
 

:coolsmiley

I saw many Negative and positive comments and I am glad you cleaned this mess up Thanks , from a Navy retired Paramedic

What a really sad situation. I hope a full recovery for them.
Yesterday I saw a four passenger golf cart with two adults in the front and two kids in the rear seat. One child looked about 5 yrs old. The other child looked about 8 and was STANDING up talking to grand parents in the front. All the while driving 15/18 mph.

Rules don’t correct STUPID !!!!!! We’ve seen far too many visitors on carts who don’t know the rules. It is the residents responsibility for how their guests operate their vehicles. They should make sure they discuss this with guests. These are vehicles - not toys.

This could be compared to the gun argument (No, I am NOT trying to open that so don't get mean and jump all over me..LOL !), I am simply trying to add that people are people. Some will use seat belts, some will not. How to you legislate the WAY people drive golf carts ? I don't think a day goes by I don't see truly awful things with carts and "their" people. At Easter time the renters on the block allowed their young children (oldest looked about 12 ? 14?) to circle the block at 11:30 p.m. until after midnight, in a "wild" manner (two younger ones hanging onto rack made for clubs). The adults had to still be awake, but no one did a thing for 45 minutes. So, people are people, making laws about carts having seat belts does not solve it. If it saves a life, that's a blessing, but I had a friend in Colorado who was horribly burned when her gas cart turned over and "exploded" (reason was never determined), had she not had on a seat belt she would have been able to escape from under the cart. Everyone has a story of someone saved and someone hurt with ATV's, carts, etc. SLOW down, don't act so superior because you have found a way to increase the speed of your cart, be kind to others, don't take chances passing other carts just to reach a destination literally seconds before the cart you passed. We don't need laws, if people want to spend $200 more that is wonderful, but let's see what kindness and patience might do.

When will people —residents and guests—ever realize that in The Villages, golf carts are NOT toys. Yes, they are fun, but Also are a vital means of transportation down here. But so many people seem to think that safety rules of the road don’t need to apply to the carts. Unfortunately, not all persons are equipped with “common sense” but they still endanger others by driving the carts as “fun toys”!

Sounds like speed and inexperience were factors.:ohdear:

Many people drive golf carts as if they were driving their car. They shouldn't do that. Carts do not have the safety features as those found in cars. I also see a sense of entitlement. Many think that they can share the road with cars equally which causes many accidents. I almost hit a golf cart the other day because they came out of the golf cart lane to turn left right in front of me. Thank God I have great brakes. I beeped at him and he just waved me off. Although golf cart drivers are Villagers, they do not have the right of way. So, in my opinion, attitude plays a big role in many accidents.

A several golf cart drivers have been killed, when they turn left directly from the golf cart lane--driving a cart is a totally different game, from driving a car--there is VERY little room for error

We had our 4-seater golf cart installed with seat belts front & back. Peace of mind. We also had the directional lights retrofitted with automatic "off" mechanism. Prior to that fix, I kept forgetting to turn off the directionals causing others to turn in front of me thinking I was still making a right turn. I have forgotten to turn off the headlights a few times which drains the battery. We have a gas golf cart. Remember: a golf cart is NOT like a car. It takes practice.

Yep. People still do it. See it every day.

I don't know where you got this story, but you are full of it!! I happen to know the people involved. It was an unfortunate "accident', the girls were not both his daughters and THEY WERE SEATBELTED! And...they were not ALL TRANSPORTED to Ocala Regional!! How rude this is! Just where did you get this story, and don't say the paper because that was incorrect also. And how about feeling a little bad for the driver who was hurt and very distraught. And the parents and grandparents? There are accidents, ya know. Hopefully one won't befall you some day and we won't be sitting in judgement on you!

Thank you for the additional information. :thumbup:


I hope all recover soon. :ho:

Thanks. According to one of the posts above, the gentleman first on the scene, he said 1 girl wasn't belted. I guess he would know. I thought they both were. Regardless, I know the father and he would in no way be driving crazy. It was an ACCIDENT...they happen. Anyway, they are all OK. Thanks...

You legislate it the same way you legislate driving cars. Require a license, registration, and insurance. Have actual laws, and enforce them. Require accountability for lawbreakers.

There should be no "this lady lets her 12-year-old kid drive the golf cart all summer long on the streets in the Villages of Hacienda. That kid should've been spotted by or reported to the police within the first couple of days, and the grandmother given a ticket for traffic violation and arrested for risk of injury to a minor.

Until there is legislated and enforced accountability, there will be people breaking the rules and there's not a damned thing you can do about it other than complain.

The State of Florida allows children to drive golf carts at the age of 14. It is against the law to drink and drive ANYTHING. Adding more laws sometimes helps and sometimes like the laws against drugs, it doesn't change much at all. I think that driving with full attention is what you should do and I should do and everyone should do.

Of course the family will dispute the info provided via the police report, their boy could never be blamed, even though he was cited by authorities, and the girls would not have needed to be transported if they belted in--remember denial is not a river in Egypt

Golf Carts Belong Only on Paths and Cart Lanes
 

I am not a permanent resident of The Villages, but a frequent renter and golf cart driver. I don't have a problem with safety belts in golf carts, but don't kid yourselves on the amount of protection they provide. As mentioned in previous comments, golf carts lack most of the safety devices and innovations in today's automobiles...basically they are at less than 1960's safety technology! That said, when you combine this with their limited power, it seems ridiculous to consider them "street worthy" and allow them to drive in the main driving lanes rather than just cart/bike paths. Allowing them on roads like Morse or Buena Vista Blvds is just an accident waiting to happen...and we all know who is going to lose when it does.

...

Gracie dear, amen!

Those words are music to my ears! :a040: