[tuccillo]

If I wanted to remove all risk in my life I would never leave the house. I would never ski, scuba dive, play softball, play golf, fly in airplanes, or even drive a car. I would never go in a bank, convenience store, or liquor store. I am sure you engage in some activities that carry risk. Perhaps you are morbidly obese from poor eating habits, smoke 3 packs of cigarettes per day, mainline drugs, and wrestle 12 foot alligators for fun ;-) You engage in your "risky" activities and I will engage in my "risky" activities. I won't pass judgement on what you do and would prefer if you don't pass judgement on what I do. I, along with the large community of serious riders in The Villages, practice safe riding.

Originally Posted by Challenger

In fact, special lanes have been provided for pedestrians and vehicles other than cars. If such accomodations were available to provide separation from trucks, I would use them. Pedestrians , carts and bikes have no protection incorporated into the vehicle. I am not refering to laws but to risk - benefir calculations. The law is on your side and rightly so - Physics and human behavior(misbehavior) is not.

[alzjr]

Bicycles average about 20 pounds and tags are computed by weight. I guess I would be willing to pay the $ 4 a year to register the bike. Do you think the state is willing to process the paperwork for that amount?

[Mleeja]

It is amazing this topic has lasted this long. It seems to come up about once per month. I haven't seen anything new in about 4 pages of post. Let it die folks. You're not likely to change anyone's mind.

Becareful when you are driving. Like it or not, you are sharing the road with other types of vehicles! That is just the way it is...

[Steve9930]

Originally Posted by Mleeja

It is amazing this topic has lasted this long. It seems to come up about once per month. I haven't seen anything new in about 4 pages of post. Let it die folks. You're not likely to change anyone's mind.

Becareful when you are driving. Like it or not, you are sharing the road with other types of vehicles! That is just the way it is...

Amen.....

[Mikiem]

In my opinion a street legal cart is safer than a bicycle on any Villages road

[charles46]

Some people forget they live in a golf cart community ,if they don't like it ,let them move out.

[CFrance]

I don't get it. Been here three years and we have never gotten stuck behind a bicycle or a street legal cart. When I come up on one there has always been room to pass safely. If not, oh well, just wait till there is... but I haven't experienced that yet. Exactly how often do the people complaining about this actually get stuck behind one?

And no, I don't ride a bike or own a street legal cart.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Originally Posted by charles46

Some people forget they live in a golf cart community ,if they don't like it ,let them move out.

It took 6 pages and a newbie to get to the "move out" statement? Wow, we must be losing our edge...

[DonH57]

Originally Posted by CFrance

I don't get it. Been here three years and we have never gotten stuck behind a bicycle or a street legal cart. When I come up on one there has always been room to pass safely. If not, oh well, just wait till there is... but I haven't experienced that yet. Exactly how often do th geythe people complaining about this actually get stuck behind one?

And no, I don't ride a bike or own a street legal cart.

Never had the problem either. When I pass others I do it it safely and if I've had to wait to do it so be it. Some don't get it and some could care less because it's all about them. I was told ny one of our neighbors about some one up our street, who two years ago were hit head on by another cart as they approached a tunnel by Savannah center. The other cart flew out of the tunnel crossing their path. To this day they are very fortunate to be able to walk.

[Gil Chapin]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

Today I was on Buena Vista, there was a street legal golf on it. It was doing @ least 10-15 mph with the traffic flow. The cart was creating a hazard as all traffic was passing it and making quick moves to avoid rear ending the cart. Really they should be using 4 way hazard flashers @ 25mph !!!!

I'd like to try to respond to the original question. I've read all the replies so far and haven't seen what I'd like to contribute.

I have a GEM Car. Technically, it's not a "street legal golf cart" (a "golf cart" modified to meet additional requirements). It's a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) designed and built for use on public roads. It is designed to (and legally permitted to) operate at 25 MPH. I confess - it will do 27 when going down a really steep hill with a really strong tailwind. I do not use it on roads where there is no "golf cart" lane such as Morse Boulevard or Buena Vista. I consider that to be too dangerous. I use the "golf cart" lanes wherever possible unless there is a multi-modal path that goes to the same place, in which case I use the multi-modal path instead.

As a retired product safety engineer, it occurred to me that to use a "golf cart" on public roads (including - and perhaps especially - any road where there is a "golf cart" lane) is a misuse of the product. It's intended to be used on a golf course, not on public roads. Consequently, I chose to purchase a vehicle with four wheel hydraulic brakes, an auto glass windshield, a windshield wiper, seat belts, and a robust frame. It has sealed batteries, so there is reduced risk of acid spill in a roll over. There may be more features but those are the significant ones to me. I understood the extra cost of the vehicle and the registration and insurance fees. I made this choice because even though The Villages has provided wonderful multi-modal paths, there are many places where one must use the regular streets to get around.

I drive mine on my own residential street, where there is no golf cart lane, and I drive there in its "low" speed setting at 15 MPH (I have a factory installed speedometer) because that is the posted speed limit for my street. The GEM Car has two "forward" speed settings - the low speed setting of 15 MPH is, I'm told, oddly enough, for use on a golf course. On other roads where it's possible, I drive it at 25 MPH in the "golf cart" lane (subject to other slower golf cart traffic - for which I slow down to their speed) on streets that have a posted speed limit of 30 MPH. I drive it at 20 MPH on roads that are posted for that speed or not posted at all. I choose not to drive it on major roads because as many here have pointed out, it does tend to hold up traffic when you're proceeding at 25 MPH on a road with a 35 MPH speed limit - and there do seem to be some very impatient drivers here in The Villages.

Wherever possible, I use the multi-modal paths. The only place where I can't do that is on the Sumter Lake bridge. The "golf cart" lane is so narrow that I risk not being able to safely pass oncoming carts (yes, my GEM Car is apparently slightly wider than a standard cart). I take that route very seldom because I don't like driving in traffic. When I do drive on the multi-modal paths, I will drive at 25 MPH when there is no other traffic. If there are slower vehicles, I slow down to their speed (although in some cases, I couldn't catch them if I tried). With respect to speed limits on those paths, the only place I've seen a speed limit sign (10 MPH) is for the lanes across the Lake Sumter bridge. I don't consider that general lack of posted limits to be permission to exceed 25 MPH even if I could. I know there are lots of opinions about that.

I find it interesting that there is recent discussion about the use of LSV's on the multi-modal paths (and even in the "golf cart" lanes). It seems as if some folks find LSV's (or their operators) so distasteful that they want to regulate their use according to their own wishes. I've tried to explain my perspective on the use of LSV's and I think that prohibiting their use on the multi-modal paths and the "golf cart" lanes would not only put those of us who have chosen to use them at increased risk of injury, but also it would cause increased traffic congestion because we would be traveling at 25 MPH in the traffic lanes of roads with marked speed limits of 30 or 35 MPH as was pointed out in the original post

You may wonder why I've put "golf cart" lanes in quotation marks. It turns out that the only place where there are lanes actually marked for golf carts (and bicycles) is on Morse Boulevard north of 466. This seems to be an issue for those who would like to prevent LSV's from being in those lanes. As I understand it, it is also the only place where there is even the slightest chance of law enforcement being involved for otherwise lawful travel in an LSV - and that chance is apparently VERY slim. I use that road very seldom, but when I am there I intend to use those lanes for my safety as I do the other "golf cart" lanes on other roads.

It was not my intention to antagonize anyone here. I only wanted to try to explain my rationale for what I've chosen to do. I suspect some will take issue with what I have said but I hope we can have a civil discussion about it if necessary.

[lanemb]

So goes the saying Dead Right. You have the right to be there but you are still DEAD. I would weigh the benefits against the risk.

[Hummintwo]

We have what was an LSV, & JEBARTLE correctly stated in one sentence the pros and cons. When we purchased ours from a dealership, we went through specific details regarding safety. The operational details of an LSV closely parallel an automobile but its true you have to be crazy to be driving a calibrated LSV at max 25 mph on roadway that is 35 mph. When the State of Florida provided for us crazy LSV vehicle owners the chance to convert our LSV to golf cart with maximum 19 mph calibration, we leapt at the opportunity. In the 4 years we owned an LSV, we always used the golf cart paths and since the conversion that has continued with one exception, we must have a state certified sticker on our golf cart that states it has lawfully been converted from an LSV to a golf cart and if the driver of our golf cart should exceed the 19 mph speed law, an officer can lawfully ticket the driver.

This may be more information than you wanted to know but it is an opportunity to have others understand that not all LSV drivers want to drive on the roadway but if they do, they are entitled to be treated with the same courtesy as any other vehicle owner.

[JoMar]

Coming back from Palmer on Bailey Trail I went through one of those speed monitoring devices......I was clocked at 20 MPH (relief...the speedometer was accurate) and then a car passed by and he was clocked at 45. It's can be so much fun out there...lol.

[TwinTurboViper]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

There are only two reasons to own a SL golf cart.
1. You have a serious death wish.
2. You are completely crazy and don't know any better.

[alzjr]

Not sure why all the posts say they would never drive an LSV on 35 MPH streets where one can have an 11 foot wide lane to use and travel with traffic safely. The same people think they are SAFE traveling in a diamond marked golf cart lane at 20 MPH with cars inches away going 30 MPH, or more.
Using the multimodal paths with 2 way traffic traveling at all different speeds is not very safe either. A head on collision with two carts going 20MPH will make an awfull mess.