Deborah Dorman
Ask your friends and acquaintances and you’ll be surprised to hear how many people have been thrown from a golf cart and injured or killed. We don’t wear helmets, obviously. The carts generally only go 16 to 20 miles an hour, although some people have souped up carts that can go much faster. In Arizona, golf carts by law are not to exceed 25 mph. Surprisingly, the National Institutes of Health reports that golf carts are just as dangerous as ATVs, based on ICU admissions, head injuries, surgery and mortality rates. We think of golf carts as very benign, but they need to be taken seriously as vehicles with risk.
There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the risk involved:
1. Installation and use of seat belts is one of the simplest and best steps to take. Professional installation is important, but they are not prohibitively expensive.
2. Maintain your cart regularly. Professional service once a year is recommended, depending on your usage level. The brakes, steering, battery, charger, lubrication, tire tread, and tire pressure all need to be checked. If you have a “street legal” cart (low-speed vehicle, or LSV), you also need to check all lights and mirrors. If you have a traditional battery system, you need to check the water levels frequently and keep the battery terminals clean. A lithium battery costs more up front, but does not require constant monitoring. A “street legal” cart (public roads) must have headlights, brake lights, a horn, registration and insurance, and be operated by a licensed driver. Amanda Contino of Par-Tee Time Golf Cars, which represents Club Car, says that failure to maintain the brakes is a leading contributor to accidents. She says that especially when owners have after-market installations to boost speed, the brakes may not be adequate for that. Club Car is now putting 4-wheel brakes, roll bars, and seat belts on LSVs, even though their max speed is still 24 mph.
3. Consider how well you can be seen in the dark. Front and brake lights are fine, but turn signals are also important and think about adding more lights in the back (even bike lights are fine), a puck light or similar on your dash and possibly overhead if your cart is covered, and reflective tape on the sides of the cart.
4. Don’t drink and drive. You actually can get a DUI arrest if you drink and drive in a golf cart. It’s not a toy, so don’t drink and drive, don’t drive if you’re sleepy or under the influence of anything that alters your response time, and don’t text and drive your cart at the same time. According to Blake Peterson at A-1 Golf Carts, which sells and services E-Z–Go, alcohol is the highest contributing factor in golf cart accidents, based on his many years of experience. Consider that unlike your car, golf carts do not automatically turn on lights, brakes, and other safety systems, so your response time is critical.
5. Buckle up your dogs! Get a good dog car seatbelt, attach it to the metal frame at one end and to your dog’s harness (not collar) at the other. Even if you are not thrown, your pet can easily slide off the seat due to a turn or a bump (or a rabbit).
Both Par-Tee Time and A-1 recommend annual maintenance by a professional with proper training. Blake Peterson emphasizes that off-brand carts made overseas may not be built to the same standards as brands such as E-Z–Go and Club Car, and that on some newer models, there can be trouble with auto-braking that can lock up if not properly maintained. That is a recipe for being thrown from your cart.
Golf carts are not toys, and while they are an excellent means of transportation within a home community and on the course, they should be treated as you would any vehicle that can be dangerous if operated inappropriately or not maintained. All it requires for a tragedy is a sharp turn, driving too fast, swerving to avoid an object or animal, distraction, or poor maintenance. Those tragedies are avoidable in most cases.