[Villages Kahuna]

It didn't take long for me to discover that the entire Villages may be one of those infamous Florida "speed traps". Among the six neighbors closest to where we live, only one has avoided a traffic ticket since moving in late last summer. And there's a pattern. Three of us got tickets for going only a few miles over the limit when the light is on in the school zone in front of TV High School. One neighbor even got a ticket after turning left (westbound) onto 466 from Belvidere, which is west of the sign and light warning of the school zone on westbound 466!

If you sit and watch each morning and afternoon, there are often two Sumter County police cars assuring that the county budget is balanced by issuing one ticket after another in that area. Other spots that are dangerous for speeders going even a little over the limit are on Morse and Buena Vista between 466 and the north end of TV.

And traffic tickets in The Sunshine State are expensive! Going even a few miles over the limit will cost almost $200 plus the cost of traffic school. I hate to think of the cost if one were really speeding.

The good news about getting a ticket is, yes they DO have my attention!

[LG]

:cop:

They also like the north bound are just past the Polo Field.. Hit you as you come around the blind corner.. BE AWARE.. They used to just bust the workers.. now we are all fair game... if you are minority, then you'll get one for SOMETHING

[Talk Host]

There is a solution. Stay within the posted speed limit.

There are far to many Village resident that speed, don't use their turn signals and don't stop at stop signs. There are also plenty of people who have "souped up" illegal golf carts who speed and don't stop for stop signs. It is a problem. The police are doing their job. Can you imagine what it would be like if they weren't there?

JLK

[SteveZ]

The place to "watch out" is the City of Waldo (US 301). That place has been famous within FL for the last couple decades as the "speed trap capitol" of the state.

[nanci2539]

Are you getting tickets for speeding on golf carts? How fast do these carts go?

I have to think you're talking about autos, not carts!

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by nanci2539

Are you getting tickets for speeding on golf carts? How fast do these carts go?

I have to think you're talking about autos, not carts!

Both cars and golf carts speed. The sheriff of Sumter county has warned Village residents about speeding on golf carts. It is illegal to exceed 20 miles per hour and to alter factory equipment. Tickets are being written and they are expensive. In May, Villagers paid out in excess of $250,000 in traffic fines for both cars and carts.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by curry

:cop: :bigthumbsup: :joke: well you want to have a police force in the villages what do you pople think

the police well stop you a every corner amd give you a ticket to pay them and give them a rase keep the police out of the villages amd by a gun

I am not quite sure what you mean here. Could you please be a little more clear?

[nanci2539]

No Kidding Talk Host! I know it's not funny but how fast can you make a golf cart go even juiced up! So do these police ride thier own carts to chase after you? How do they pull you over if you're going under a tunnel!

[Russ_Boston]

I'd like to reply to user Curry's posts but they are hard to read. I'm not sure that he/she knows that there is a built in spell checker on these posts. Maybe English isn't their first language but they are hard to read.

No offense intended but i have seen his/her posts and i can't seem to get through them.

[JohnZ]

I think curry's posts are challenging...indeed....almost a puzzle to decipher. Here's what I think curry is saying. It should be expected by all that 1) those who habitually speed or break other trafffic laws should expect to get caught at some point in time 2) that the fines collected contribute a revenue stream from which the police salaries are paid (directly or indirectly) and 3) the alternative is to do without a police department and to fend for ourselves for protection. Don't ask me how I came up with this interpretation....my head already hurts.

[nanci2539]

I agree John - I tried and tried to understand what Curry is saying but I just get lost.

Do you know about spell check Curry? I use it all the time, easy, just click on spell check before you post the message.

I still haven't figured out how she was so burnt by her real estate transaction - she keeps posting that it was a horrible experience but we can't get it out of her what happened!

[chacam]

Talk Host, you say "It is illegal to exceed 20 miles per hour and to alter factory equipment." Please tell me what Florida statutes (Title and Chapter) cover these two items. Where does it say that carts can't be altered or exceed 20 MPH? I have asked several places and can't get an answer. I would also like to know how many speeding tickets were written during any period in Sumter County for golfcarts. People (myself included) complain about cart speed but I have never seen a cart getting a speeding ticket, or even heard about a cart getting a speeding ticket. I think the cops are too busy hanging out at Lake Miona Park.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by chacam

Talk Host, you say "It is illegal to exceed 20 miles per hour and to alter factory equipment." Please tell me what Florida statutes (Title and Chapter) cover these two items. Where does it say that carts can't be altered or exceed 20 MPH? I have asked several places and can't get an answer. I would also like to know how many speeding tickets were written during any period in Sumter County for golfcarts. People (myself included) complain about cart speed but I have never seen a cart getting a speeding ticket, or even heard about a cart getting a speeding ticket. I think the cops are too busy hanging out at Lake Miona Park.

My information came from a story in the Daily Sun quoting the Sumter County Sheriff's Department. They would be a good place to start to find out "Title and Chapter."

[Villages Kahuna]

I believe the illegality of a golf cart that has been modified to exceed a 19.9 mph top speed is that carts capable of greater speed than that are required to be licensed and carry automotive-type insurance coverage. There are lots of golf carts that are capable of exceeding 19.9 mph in TV. The problem is that the majority of them are not properly licensed or insured. All of the GEM carts sold by Daimler-Chrysler dealers are capable of higer speeds, as an example, but are licensed when sold. Most responsible golf cart dealers will not modify their carts to exceed the 19.9 mph unlicensed limit. But there are all kinds of mechanics who will make the necessary modifications to speed carts up.

People knowledgeable regarding "souping up" carts to go fast have a common observation regarding the practice. Getting a golf cart to go fast is easy. But getting it to stop safely from higher speeds is a whole lot harder. Of the large number of carts that have been souped up in TV, very, very few have also been modified with better brakes to permit safe stops from higher speeds. If that's not done to a souped up golf cart going, say 30 mph, the increase in danger to the occupants and others outside the cart is a simple matter of physics. Souped up carts cannot be stopped safely when operated at high speeds without major brake modifications.

The police have threatened to ticket speeding golf carts for some time now. But their warnings have gone largely unheeded. Don't be surprised if the police radar guns are pointed at golf carts whizzing by in the future. The resulting ticket(s) could really be expensive. Let's see...speeding, driving an unlicensed vehicle, inadequate insurance, and so on. I hate to even think how much those tickets would cost.

[bestmickey]

Originally Posted by chacam

Talk Host, you say "It is illegal to exceed 20 miles per hour and to alter factory equipment." Please tell me what Florida statutes (Title and Chapter) cover these two items. Where does it say that carts can't be altered or exceed 20 MPH? I have asked several places and can't get an answer. I would also like to know how many speeding tickets were written during any period in Sumter County for golfcarts. People (myself included) complain about cart speed but I have never seen a cart getting a speeding ticket, or even heard about a cart getting a speeding ticket. I think the cops are too busy hanging out at Lake Miona Park.

If you want to read about Florida laws (re: golf carts or any other topic), go to this site and type in your chosen topic. Enjoy.

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