[mfp509]

There was just a segment on VNN about grandchildren visiting this summer and driving golf carts. It sounded like they were actually encouraging it. Not once did they mention the legal age of 14 as a requirement to drive a golf cart. They were telling grandparents to make sure that when their grandchildren drive the golf carts that they follow the rules and since maturity varies among children to use judgement when allowing them to drive or to take the cart alone. The term "legal age" was mentioned but not specified as 14. They should not be allowed to take the cart alone - I have seen teens loaded in golf carts driving fast on the golf cart paths and just howling when they round a corner too fast or run off into the grass. We are headed for disaster here with this and, unfortunately, I guess that's what it will take before they decide to clamp down.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a little boy I swear no older than 4 sitting in the driver's seat with feet dangling because he was so small and the grandfather operating the pedals from the passengers seat with his left foot.

The other day, a young boy maybe 10 was driving a golf cart that was so overloaded I couldn't count the people in it.

It's just a matter of time for a tragedy with increasing population and more grandchildren. Welcome to "Camp Villages"

[JohnN]

in my current neighborhood, (not TV *sigh),
a bunch of kids were just literally loaded on a cart, hanging off, speeding,

and one fell off and was seriously injured, having to be airlifted to the Little Rock hospital

[Sidney Lanier]

My wife is less concerned about the potential crazies out there, and she will yell at the adult in the golf cart who's letting a little child drive it. Sometimes they stop the cart and the adult takes over, and sometimes they just drive off. Until people who do this are penalized in the only way they're responsive to--in their pocketbooks--and even then I can already hear the whining, like the person who got snagged speeding through the school zone with the lights on the signs clearly complaining that he/she was 'targeted' because of out-of-state license plates--this behavior will continue. We can hardly start making 'citizen's arrests'; this has to be up to enforcement personnel, and let the word get around....

[Peggy D]

It must be the same family that had the kids too close to the buffilo.

I swear, some people have no common sense.

And when something tragic happens, they feel they are not to blame.

[Fourpar]

What Peggy D said!

[redwitch]

I think some people remember the times when their kids were little and they let them sit on their laps and drive. This was normally done in very rural areas with no traffic. For some strange reason, they can't see the difference between an open field or a rural road with zero traffic and TV residential streets. What's sad is that it will probably take a few major tragedies before these people see the dangers.

I was at Spanish Springs tonight, parked behind TooJay's. As I was walking to the square two golf carts drove by, probably going between 20 and 30 mph. The front was driven by a boy about 11-12. The second by his older brother (they really did look alike), who was maybe 13 or 14 with a boy who was maybe 8 or 9. No adult was in either cart. Scary!

[chelsea24]

Peggy, that's funny! But you could be right. I couldn't believe the first time I saw three children alone driving a golf cart. The driver must have been 10. People never cease to amaze me.

[Hancle704]

Originally Posted by redwitch

As I was walking to the square two golf carts drove by, probably going between 20 and 30 mph. The front was driven by a boy about 11-12. The second by his older brother (they really did look alike), who was maybe 13 or 14 with a boy who was maybe 8 or 9. No adult was in either cart. Scary!

Wow what a missed opportunity for Police to issue multiple tickets.Over 20 MPH, it is no longer a golf cart. It is an unregistered motor vehicle, unless it had valid license plates and if that were the case, you would have a citation for an unlicensed operator. :cop:

Too bad they can't give out tickets for stupid grandparents who permit such a dangerous action. They wouldn't get away with that if Chelsea was out on patrol. :cop:

[DDoug]

You know you are all right,when I was younger we drove a tractor on the road on the farm but we were working and if we goofed around boy did we get our you know what kicked.But it is true our judgement reverts back to younger days as we get older.I dont understand why do the kids have to drive the cart,give them a bicycle,course that can be dangeruos here.

[disney07]

It's crazy that folks would put themselves into a position letting kids/young adults drive a golf cart unsupervised. 14-16 in age? The golf cart is a toy, a new trill ride that they don't get at home. Surely they need to realize lawyers are lined up waiting for the opportunity to represent a injured party or sue for damages to property. The responsible of the golf cart falls back onto the insurer of it. Allowing kids to drive their golf cart? That's a big gamble. How much are you willing to loose? Money? Worse the thought of injury to your grand kids, loved ones.

[SteveZ]

Letting kids "drive" golf carts is just another means of bribery. So many parents and grandparents want to be the "good guy" and "good guys" don't say NO to kids. That's what the entertainment media has bombarded the kids with, its what they believe. The result is that people who definitely know better get skull-soft around the little manipulators for fear of being told "you don't love me!"

If only the grown-ups would think and act like grown-ups, but just enough of them to be dangerous seem to view TV as FantasyLand, and they believe they can think and act as immature as their grandkids at no cost to anyone.

[captain1202]

OK, call me crazy, but I see nothing wrong with letting my grandson (7 yrs old) take a turn at the wheel with VERY CLOSE supervision. Look at the little kids running ATV's and dirt bikes.

Having said that, I would allow him to drive only on golf cart paths, not streets and I would "hover" over the brake and steering wheel.

I guess I come from a permissive family but I was running outboard motorboats and age 7 and driving the car up and down the driveway at 12.

The real key is proper supervision, which of course, is oftentimes completely lacking, not just with driving a cart.

[redwitch]

Captain, I have an issue with kids driving ATVs and minibikes, etc., but at least these are driven off road away from cars. I don't think it is wise but at least it is legal.

What you are doing with your grandchild is not only dangerous, it is illegal. It is against the law for a child under 14 to operate a golf cart. Personally, I do not like being on a golf cart path with a child coming towards me. Many of the paths are too narrow for that.

I guess the problem is that too many see no harm in letting their grandchild operate the cart with or without "close supervision." While driving my car, I almost ran over a boy when he and his friends/brothers were running around and jumping in and out of their moving cart. While on the golf cart path, I had to drive my scooter into the grass to prevent being hit by a 9 or 10 year old driving the cart with his grandfather beside him. While walking a dog, I had to go into the middle of a busy street because of a very young child driving while grandpa took care of the brakes and pedals. The kid was not even remotely driving in a straight line.

To me, letting your grandchild drive your cart is about as intelligent as sitting your grandchild on the fence to get a good picture with the buffalo. The majority of time nothing will happen but when it does, you have to live with the guilt that your grandchild was injured because of your bad judgment. I sincerely hope that day never comes for you.

[JohnN]

the law is the law, and there for a reason. if it's age 14, then that's what it oughta be

[bimmertl]

[quote=captain1202 ]
OK, call me crazy, but I see nothing wrong with letting my grandson (7 yrs old) take a turn at the wheel with VERY CLOSE supervision. Look at the little kids running ATV's and dirt bikes.


Great line, "Look at the little kids running ATV's and dirt bikes"

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/heal...n-the-rise.htm