The Associated Press
Many residents of manufactured home parks and golf communities travel within their developments on golf carts, but how far out can they venture onto nearby streets?
Published: June 21, 2011
SEBRING - Instead of driving his car to nearby stores, Ernie LaFrance, 84, of Sebring, saves on gas by hopping into his golf cart.
Trips to Wal-Mart or Walgreens are a breeze for the Fairmount Mobile Estates resident whose golf cart has turn signals, headlights, brake lights, a horn and a top speed of 25 mph.
"That's the only reason I can go over there is because I'm rigged up like a car," he said. "I can use the car, but then I'm not burning gas with the golf cart."
LaFrance drives his golf cart everyday, including evening drives with his wife, to get out of the house to visit neighbors.
Many residents of manufactured home parks and golf communities travel within their developments on golf carts, but how far out can they venture onto nearby streets?
Sebring Police Cmdr. Steve Carr noted that Florida Statute 316.212 addresses the use of golf carts on roadways.
"Of course, you don't want to go on a major highway, and there are some rules where the county can designate particular roads to and from golf courses," he said.
State law allows golf carts, low-sped vehicles and utility vehicles on state roads that have a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less. Unless allowed by local governments, county and city roads are off-limits for golf carts.
Florida Statute 316.212 also states that, in the interest of safety, a county or municipality may prohibit golf carts on any street or highway under its jurisdiction.
Highlands County Sheriff's Sgt. Phillip Cloninger said local laws don't conflict with state law rules in Highlands County.
Golf carts are not allowed on sidewalks or bicycle paths, but he noted that many people drive them on the extra-wide sidewalk that runs along side of Placid Lakes Boulevard. The sidewalk is designated as a multi-purpose path.
The only golf cart accident with an injury Cloninger can remember occurred a few months ago when a female juvenile was hurt when another minor inadvertently backed a golf cart over her.
"I've never heard of any car accidents or any other kind of accident with golf carts involving adults," he said.
Complaints about golf carts are very rare because people drive them responsibly and the carts are quiet and don't go as fast as all-terrain vehicles, he said.
But, there is a gray area with utility vehicles such as the Polaris Ranger, which are like a golf cart on steroids, he said. "We occasionally get trouble out of those."
Florida Statue 320.01 (42) addresses street-legal golf carts, low speed vehicles and neighborhood electric vehicles with a top speed between 21 and 25 mph.
The vehicles require a license plate and may be operated only on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less. They may cross a road or street with a speed limit greater than 35 mph.
Cloninger noted that a person driving an ATV on a road could be cited for a criminal violation of failure to register a motor vehicle or a non-moving violation ($116 fine) of operating an ATV on a roadway.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and mini-trucks shouldn't share busy public roads with regular traffic.
LSVs are essentially souped-up golf carts that were envisioned as a low-cost, eco-friendly way to tool around gated communities in the Sun Belt where they would have little interaction with larger vehicles, the Insurance Institute noted in a statement last year.
More states are allowing the relatively new breed of vehicle on public roads, but crash tests show the mix of LSVs and regular traffic is deadly.
David Zuby, the Institute's chief research officer, said, "On one hand you have the NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] saying these vehicles were meant for low-risk, controlled environments or farm use, and, on the other hand, states are pushing them out onto the highways."
Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com
Source: http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2011/jun/21/golf-carts-are-leaving-the-fairway/news/
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