Golf carts have many safety oversights. However, those oversights only cause injuries during a crash. Preventing those crashes starts when drivers adopt better practices and take conscious steps to respect the limitations of their vehicles. To help drivers understand the limitations of their carts, we’ve put together a few crucial golf cart safety tips.
Take it Slow
Golf carts are not designed to run continuously at max speed. Most aren’t meant to keep up with a 15 MPH speed limit. That’s why drivers need to slow down to a comfortable speed. This is especially true when going downhill or turning.
A golf cart’s high center of gravity makes speeding and sudden turns potentially dangerous. While a traditional automobile usually takes turns at 15 MPH, a golf cart doing the same will flip over. Drivers should understand that a golf cart is very different from a car.
No U-Turns
Golf carts aren’t meant to make U-Turns, even when starting from a complete stop. Their high center of gravity and small wheels create a lot of G-force in just a few seconds. This can effectively throw unsecured passengers from the vehicle and into the road. In high traffic areas, this could end in tragedy.
Instead of making a U-Turn, drivers have two options. They could make an extremely wide U-turn, reducing the force and the burden on the wheels. Or they could make three lefts and a right. It may take longer, but it dramatically reduces the risk of accidents and injuries.
Install Seatbelts
Most golf carts do not come with seatbelts. However, anyone can purchase and install seatbelt kits for around $80. It may seem expensive, but it effectively keeps both the driver and the passenger tethered to the vehicle.
Golf cart seatbelts have two significant effects. First, they keep passengers from sliding around the bench seat and jolting into the air due to a bump or pothole. Second, they keep passengers inside the vehicle in the event of a crash or flip. Passengers with seatbelts are far less likely to be thrown into the road or to become trapped under the weight of the cart.
If you or someone you love suffered severe injuries in a golf cart accident, you might have a case. If you’d like to schedule a free case consultation with an experienced The Villages personal injury attorney from Ayres, Cluster, & Collins, P.A. to evaluate your case, please call (352) 329-8668 or send us an email.