Small Town Savings: The Switch from Gas Guzzlers to Golf Carts
Posted by
Nick AvgerinosJuly 30, 2008 11:36 AM
Gas prices keep climbing, and salaries are failing to follow suit. As a result, Americans everywhere are searching for ways to save. The newest idea in Illinois: golf carts. No, people aren’t hitting the links in an effort to distract themselves from their pain at the pump (well, maybe they are); people are trading in their cars and trucks for golf carts. This is a particularly plausible option for the elderly, many of whom only travel close to home. Others, who can afford the additional upfront expense, have added a golf cart to their fleet of traditional cars in an effort to curb consumption for local travel.
Let me back up for a moment; in both Illinois and Indiana, it is illegal to drive golf carts on a state road. Thanks to legislation passed just 10 years ago, though, Illinois towns are free to open their roads to golf carts. And with the gas crunch upon us, a trickle of small towns are responding with the appropriate legislation. Clearly, it’s not a bandwagon that the city of Chicago can jump on (we have enough worries about our bike riders), but it may be an amenable option for our downstate neighbors.
According to the recent Chicago Tribune article, three towns in Iroquois County have already passed ordinances allowing golf carts onto their streets, and two more towns south of Kankakee are poised to do the same. The gas saving benefit is so great—according to the Wheeling village manager, “the gas mileage on those [golf carts] makes the [Mini Cooper] look like a Hummer”—northern suburbs are also contemplating the switch.
The downside: safety. Densely populated places would obviously have a harder time with the switch. The existing ordinances promote safety by requiring that carts are outfitted with headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and a reflective sign. The ordinances further regulate that the carts do not drive down streets with speed limits higher than 35 m.p.h. Still, safety is a concern.
Like other creative commuting options, golf carts are simply not as safe as the other four-wheelers on the road. We have to keep in mind that they’ll be sharing the streets with traditional (much larger) vehicles. As fellow IB attorney Drew Dixon pointed out, golf cart related injuries are soaring. A study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that annual injury rates for golf carts increased 130% between 1990 and 2006. And 15% of those injuries occurred on the street; with more golf carts on the road, that number will likely continue to climb.
So what can you do to both save and be safe? Here are some helpful tips to stay safe while cruising in your golf cart:
- Limit cart use to authorized employees who have a valid driver's license.
- Never operate a cart under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Limit capacity of golf cart to specified design and restrictions (i.e., two passenger, four passenger, etc).
- Operate cart from driver side only.
- Keep hands and feet within cart at all times.
- Remain seated at all times when driving the cart - and make sure passengers stay seated at all times.
- Lock brake before exiting cart.
- Ensure that cart is at a complete stop before getting in and out.
- Operate carts in designated areas only.
- Drive over steep or uneven terrain with caution.
- Approach steep or uneven terrain vertically to avoid tipping over and sliding of cart.
- Avoid driving over wet or muddy surfaces.
- Slow down when approaching corners or speed bumps and on public roads.
- Slow down when driving on hills.
- Always turn to see behind cart while reversing and never try to go in reverse downhill.
- Drive defensively! Always be aware of your surroundings and keep your eyes on the path ahead of you.
Stay tuned to see just how common golf carts become in Illinois. Most likely, many municipalities will carefully consider the way the already-effective ordinances affect their respective towns and then decide whether to follow suit. Then again, if gas prices continue to rise, residents may press for faster adoption of such ordinances. Just remember that while golf cart drivers may not be yelling “fore” to alert you of their danger, please slow down for their safety and yours.