Where shall I start? First of all, golf carts have no airbags, no crush zones, no hydraulic bumpers, no doors, many have no seat belts, etc. But we require cars to have those features. Golf carts are much less safe. If so, why endanger life, many of them youth?
Secondly, at present, I see very few, if any, which are registered. And I doubt any of them have insurance! The majority I see in my neighborhood are parents taking kids to school, and later and on weekends, children operating them, and quite often without regard to speed, stop signs and even the correct side of the road.
The equestrians have a better claim to use of carts due to their age/maturity, and some pathways in the preserve, so why not just allow them in the Equestrian Preserve Area. They can decide the safety of horses and carts on their paths.
Lastly, we seem to have a society that has forgotten about stop signs and the use of turn signals, both of which are safety and courtesy issues. Does anyone expect drivers to behave differently with carts that slow them down?
I have knowledge of at least three accidents in my community, kids barreling off the golf course, and around turns, and God knows how many close calls as people back out of their driveways not seeing these small carts and not hearing their electric motors. At the very minimum, please require a tall staff and red flag to be displayed.
This new “freedom” is not unlike the non-helmet laws (we had helmets, once). It is highly dangerous, and lives will be lost, especially children.
Our Wellington government is trying to please a certain minority, and I respect that, but in my opinion, it’s a mistake.
George P. Unger, Wellington
