[Fourpar]

Well Captain, its against the law, and it is so for a reason. And the reason has nothing to do with how closely you supervise your grand kid. It is dangerous to your grand kid, and anyone else in the vicinity, not to mention irresponsible.

Just imagine how you would feel if he got hurt. Then try to imagine explaining it to a judge if you/he hurt someone else.

PS. I too drove a tractor early on, but that was in farm country, not in a heavily populated, confined area like TV.

[mfp509]

A while back, my sister mailed me a Dear Abby column where someone had written in the exact same ideas as Captain concerning allowing a child to drive a golf cart - the writer attributed his spotless driving record to the fact that he drove a motorcycle and go-cart at the age of 5. He was defending allowing a 6 year old to drive the golf cart. One response was "a 6 year old driving a golf cart is child endangerment and a social worker has the right to remove that child to a foster home and ask questions later. The parents would then be under a microscope." It went on to say "If the grandparents knew about the situation and did not report it to the authoriities then they would not be considered safe guardians for that child and the child would be placed with strangers until the parents finish court-ordered parenting classes." This response was from Texas.

This should apply to any adult allowing a child to drive a golf cart - any state.

[beady]

Oh please, child endangerment...... We are turning our childrens,children into pampered ,protected and coddled creatures. Parents are afraid to discipline these children because child services can swoop in and take the children away. How many times have you endured a screaming child in a restaurant because the parents do not dare or care to correct them in a public place. I simply removed my children from public situations when they were misbehaving. I am sometimes appauled at how children sass their elders with no reprimand from the parents.Discipline and love have to be equal in raising a child.
It all comes down to common sense and their seems to be an enormous lack of that these days, such as allowing children driving carts without an adult. I will let my grandchild drive the cart and I will not put him or myself in a dangerous situation while doing so.I won't take him out in traffic, or on the golf paths when they are busy, but I cannot see the danger of driving around the neighborhood or up and down the driveway.

[redwitch]

Beady, I was at a friend's house. Her neighbor thought like you. Before her grandmother could slam on the brakes, the golf cart had hit the edge of one of the lawn trailers. Suffice it to say after $5K damage to the cart, the granddaughter (age 10) won't be driving the cart even with grandma in the cart. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Regardless of child endangerment (it is but that's another issue), it is against the law. That alone should be enough of a deterrent although it obviously isn't for many.

[mfp509]

The law is the law. Every adult, parent or grandparent, who allows a child under the age of 14, in this state anyway, to drive a golf cart is breaking the law and is setting an example that it is okay to not abide by the rules. It is disgusting today how there is no respect for policemen or the laws. Look at where it comes from. Also, I do consider this child endangerment just like the person sitting the grandchild up on the fence to see the buffalo. I see no difference.

[beady]

I believe the difference between the buffalo and cart situations is.... the child on the fence is openly tempting a wild animal without any safe guards. The child in the cart with an adult is in a teaching situation with checks and balances for safety, in our case , anyway.

When my grandson drove our cart under my husbands supervision, we were unaware of the state law. So, we were breaking the law but the child was not aware his grandparents were setting a bad example.

Considering the many children driving carts, the sheriff's office is missing a fortune in revenue from enforcement.

[sandybill2]

We have heard--and I am afraid I am having one of my many senior moments and can't remember where---that if someone is caught driving a golf cart under the age of 14 they will be issued a "ticket" and that it will affect their getting their driver's license and their insurance coverage. We are from Virginia and were told that Virginia is one of the states that Florida notifies of such "tickets." I just remember thinking that we would not be letting our 13 year old granddaughter drive our cart during her visit this summer. We were also told that everyone should read their Golf Cart Insurance policy to make sure they were covered for even 14 year olds to drive their cart.

[tucson]

Originally Posted by beady

Oh please, child endangerment...... We are turning our childrens,children into pampered ,protected and coddled creatures. Parents are afraid to discipline these children because child services can swoop in and take the children away. How many times have you endured a screaming child in a restaurant because the parents do not dare or care to correct them in a public place. I simply removed my children from public situations when they were misbehaving. I am sometimes appauled at how children sass their elders with no reprimand from the parents.Discipline and love have to be equal in raising a child.
It all comes down to common sense and their seems to be an enormous lack of that these days, such as allowing children driving carts without an adult. I will let my grandchild drive the cart and I will not put him or myself in a dangerous situation while doing so.I won't take him out in traffic, or on the golf paths when they are busy, but I cannot see the danger of driving around the neighborhood or up and down the driveway.

Re; quote "I cannot see the danger of driving around the neighborhood or up and down the driveway". When I was living in Ma. a grandmother also thought that it was o.k. to let her 9 yr. old grandson do the same and he "accidently" put his foot on the accelerator instead of the brake and he was killed! And she (the grandmother) was sitting right next to him! She now has this terrible torment for the rest of her life knowing that she made a terrible decision. "I rest my case".

[beady]

Like I said checks and balances and common sense. Our grandchild was in the cart with my husband,whose foot was controlling the pedal, while the child was steering.

Today I was waiting at the lights exiting Polo Ridge at Beuna Vista. An adult male driving a cart with 2 children in it crossed Beuna Vista on a red light into Saddlebrook. Yes, that's right, across Beuna Vista which had a green light. The cart tunnel is right there but he chose to cut across a county road. Brilliant......that's against the law :cop: and child endangerment. What a great example he set for his grandchildren.

"I rest my case"

[gingersmom]

I just want to add my two cents. The grandparents who let their grankids drive the golf cart are forgetting about the cars that share the roads with these carts in the golf cart lane. I used to work for a PI lawyer here in TV and we had an entire docket of cases where people in cars hit golf carts and the drivers of the carts had serious head injuries. I say NO to letting children drive vehicles that can travel up the 20+ mph without seat belts. Thanks for letting me vent.

[borjo]

I've not seen anyone say they have stopped the young cart driver and spoke to them or the adult in the cart that they may get into trouble since the child looks too young to be driving. I've chased down one, spoke to the young mother and spoke to another in their driveway. They looked like they were visitors and may not have known the law. Neither of them gave me a problem, I was courteous enough and so were they. If we speak up we may prevent an accident.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by 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.

YES Indeedy. I SO agree!!!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by 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.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!

[Mintjulep]

When I was in TV recently, I noticed many children driving golf carts alone (some driving dangerously IMO) in the Crispers and 466 Walmart areas.
I felt the need several times to drive extra defensively.

I was curious if some of these kids were coming from the all ages neighborhood nearby.
I was told one of the the new developments back between Walmart and Chrispers was all ages.
Anyone know for sure???
If so, as these neighborhoods fill up, hopefully the parents will be responsible and not use golf carts as babysitters and boredom busters.

[mfp509]

Originally Posted by beady

Like I said checks and balances and common sense. Our grandchild was in the cart with my husband,whose foot was controlling the pedal, while the child was steering.

Today I was waiting at the lights exiting Polo Ridge at Beuna Vista. An adult male driving a cart with 2 children in it crossed Beuna Vista on a red light into Saddlebrook. Yes, that's right, across Beuna Vista which had a green light. The cart tunnel is right there but he chose to cut across a county road. Brilliant......that's against the law :cop: and child endangerment. What a great example he set for his grandchildren.

"I rest my case"

So I guess this justifies letting your grandson drive the golf cart and break the law also. If someone runs a red light and gets away with it, I'm still not going to run a red light and put myself in danger or set a bad example. I rest MY case!