I notice walkers are totally different during the holidays and the winter months. I think they are probably visitors and have no idea of how to walk safely. I actually see whole families with young children spread out across the narrow back roads walking and talking without a care in the world. Unfortunately they are on a feeder road which takes golf carts to a golf course ..... i.e. back road which is actually a very busy road. Disaster waiting to happen.

Thinking there must been an epidemic of pedestrian walkers getting mauled in the cart paths, I did a search and found two pedestrians that have been injured or killed. Both were in supermarket parking lots, one in Pinellas the other in Colony.

I demand that all pedestrians cease walking in parking lots!

As i read these posts
 

It should be obvious to everyone the chance of PEOPLE knowing the rules is a real assumption. The chance of them following the rules is a further stretch.

For your post-GOLF CARTS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.

For walkers, the LAWS as posted seem reasonable. If, there is a sidewalk use it. ASIDE-does not seem to be in the posted laws. BRIGHT COLORS might some day save your life

The best accident is the one that doesn't happen
 

WHO IS GUILTY? The walker. The golf cart driver. Or the car driver. Any of the three could have prevented this accident.

IF you or I was one of the three would we have AVOIDED this. WAS ANY OF THE THREE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS GOING ON? MY VIEW-NO

the rules of the road apply to all vehicles cars, carts bikes and hence the right of way ROW applies to all vehicles.

some people actually believe that cars always have the right of way and that does not even make sense

Add to this, Street legal golf carts, and non street legal golf carts that display their old State License plate, making them appear to be street legal. Which one gets the right of way?

Only an idiot would walk in the road when a sidewalk is present. It was also mentioned that it's ILLEGAL to walk in the road(no matter which way you're facing)when a sidewalk is present. Are you folks serious??? Common sense dad-burn-it!!!!!

It's interesting (and humorous) to see some of the same people who complain about speeding carts...missing the obvious here. :oops:

What I personally do in this situation where there is a lot of traffic, is to slow down as I'm approaching the walkers coming at me and then stop just ahead of them...making them either step into traffic or the grass.

If there's a sidewalk, I will slowly shake my head...and tell them that they're breaking the law.

If there is no sidewalk, but they could easily step into the grass...I just slowly shake my head and smile. :D

So what if I'm inconvenienced for a few seconds?

Which has the same answer...if I am passed by other carts.

Big friggin deal. :ohdear:


And let's not forget that this situation occurs much more frequently on neighborhood roads where there are no diamond lanes...albeit there's usually room in the lane to safely pass them

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse!" Florida statutes state that pedestrians must walk on the left side of the road (facing incoming traffic). It also states a pedestrian MUST use a sidewalk when and if one is available within 15 feet of the road. Too many people either do not know the laws or do not care! Let's face it, the developer did not provide enough sidewalks nor proper information concerning the use of the sidewalks, cart paths/lanes and roadways. Oh, that's right' this is all county responsibility.

It appears most people complaining about walkers using the streets are talking about where there are sidewalks provided. I agree, use the sidewalks. The main street near my home is Belle Meade, which has no sidewalks, so people walking use the cart lanes on this road. Never a problem for me to share this lane with them, I check my rear view mirror, pull out into the car lane and we wave at each other as I go by. It appears this whole problem is in areas with higher traffic, definitely not a problem where I live.

LOL, so it's the developer's fault when people don't use provided sidewalks or drive their carts and cars properly?

Hilarious!

To my understanding, cars always have the right of way at the gates where cars are entering and exiting. Golf carts are always supposed to yield to cars at the gates. Isn't this correct?

Drivers of cars should not wave the golf cart driver on and allow them to proceed ahead of the driver of the car. I have seen this many times. This sends the wrong signals to golf cart drivers....thinking they have the right of way at the gates.

You have the legal right of way.

If it is safe for you to do so, you may choose to step out of the diamond lane to let a cart pass without having to pull out, especially as many cart drivers seem to forget that they have a brake.

According to the Florida statutes that someone posted above.....a pedestrian does not have the right of way in the multi tmodal path if there is a sidewalk present. However, a pedestrian does have the right of way if no sidewalk is present.

I honestly don't understand why pedestrians would choose to walk in the path of golf carts when there is a sidewalk provided for pedestrians. Will some one explain to me the reason for walking in a multi modal path when is it much safer to walk on a provided side walk?

I also will never understand why a pedestrian would not get out of the way of a golf cart on a multi modal path, even if the pedestrian has right of way with no side walk present. Who wants to get hit by a golf cart? I never trust the driver of the golf cart to go around the pedestrian. Agree with a poster above who said the pedestrian is playing chicken with the cart driver. Move to the side and let the cart proceed. That is the safe way to navigate these paths as a pedestrian.

Oh good, another "newbie" ! I don't know what neighborhood You live in, I live in Dunedin, and the only sidewalk is along the southeast side of Hillsborough Trail. None of the "feeder" roads have any sidewalks at all, and these roads seem narrow to begin with. If someone parks a vehicle in the road, which happens frequently, it makes for an interesting walk to the mail stop. The intersections are blind because of plantings and cart/automobile drivers ( myself included) are all exceeding the posted speed limits, And Yes, the developer could have provided a safer area ! As a pedestrian one must keep their head on a swivel, not use headphones or cell phones and stay alert.