Golf carts are designed for the purpose of carrying golf equipment around the golf course and from one hole to the other. It can also be driven outside of a golf course. However, can you drive a golf cart in a neighborhood?
Yes, you can drive a golf cart in a neighborhood if safety features such as seatbelts, headlights, rear lights, turn signals, horns, mirrors, and speed monitors, are added to the golf cart. Without these safety features, a golf cart will not be street legal and therefore not eligible to be driven in the neighborhood.
Can You Drive a Golf Cart in a Neighborhood?
Golf Carts can be driven in a neighborhood however, they must meet some requirements and are subject to certain rules and regulations. Some of these requirements are:
- Headlights
- Taillights
- Turn signal
- Speed monitors
- Horns,
- Mirrors, etc.
In some cities, golf carts are not permitted to drive around the neighborhood irrespective of the distance while in others, exceptions are made provided certain conditions are met.
Is it Legal to Drive a Golf Cart in a Neighborhood?
Just like driving go-karts on the sidewalk, it is legal to drive a golf cart in a neighborhood. The legality of a golf cart being driven in a neighborhood depends on the neighborhood and the laws guiding it.
In order to determine the legality of a golf cart in a neighborhood, you may have to consider some factors.
In some neighborhoods, for a golf cart to be considered legal to be driven around, it must;
- Be close to a golf course
- The age of the person driving, and
- Whether it has some components attributed to cars such as headlights, seat belts, mirrors, horns, etc.
Neighborhoods are considered to be small open spaces as opposed to large open spaces/ public roads where it is much easier to drive around hence the need to put strict measures in place to ensure the safety of the golfer/person driving it and other road users.
Can You Drive a Golf Cart Around your Neighborhood?
You can drive golf carts around your neighborhood although it requires the eligibility to be driven around. The legality of a golf cart to be around the neighborhood does not mean it is eligible to be driven, for you to be able to drive your golf cart around, it must meet some requirements according to law.
Legality and eligibility are two different things, If you drive your golf cart around when it doesn’t meet certain requirements, you stand a high chance of getting in trouble with a law enforcement agency.
What Determines Where to Drive a Golf Cart?
Here are some factors that determine where you can drive a golf cart:
1. The City Rules and Regulations Regarding Golf Carts
One of the major determining factors for where to drive a golf cart is the city’s rules and regulations, the rules made by the city/state will definitely affect the neighborhood you live in.
Taking Florida as an example, all golf carts must avoid the roadways but exceptions are made if the road divides a golf course, trailer park, or subdivision.
Going by this, we know that for a state like Florida, no golf cart should be seen on a public road except in more secluded areas.
2. The Golf Cart’s Eligibility
Another determinant is the driver or golf cart’s eligibility. It has been established that most states do not permit golf carts to drive on public roads and those that do requires some level of eligibility.
The majority of what is required for eligibility is the same as that of a car, some eligibility requirements are; the age of the driver, headlights, rearview mirror, horns, etc.
To be able to drive a golf cart around in some areas, you must be eligible according to some of these standards and more.
3. Some Golf Course Rules
Although golf carts are meant according to design to be driven on a golf course, you may not be able to do so if you don’t follow its rules.
Golf courses have rules such as; “Keep your golf carts on designated cart path only”, “Do not drive the golf cart up to the middle of the fairway from the tee box”, “No carts beyond certain points in the golf course” etc.
All these rules and others determine the extent or point to which a golf cart can be driven even on the golf course.
How to Make your Golf Cart Neighborhood Worthy
Making your golf cart neighborhood worthy requires that you meet all eligibility requirements and ensure your safety and that of other road users. Let’s take a look at some tips that will help in achieving this
Driving at a Reasonable Speed
Top on the list is the speed at which you drive, a neighborhood is more enclosed than a roadway hence the need for you to drive at a reasonable speed.
You wouldn’t want to risk causing an accident by going at full speed, so if you want to make your golf cart neighborhood worthy be sure to drive reasonably.
Safety Features
The safety of everyone in the neighborhood is important, therefore, you should put some safety features in place.
- Having rear and side mirrors in place is considered a safety measure because it allows you to see your surroundings clearly, you should also get a windshield if your golf cart doesn’t have one already.
- Having a seat belt is beneficial to the driver, golf carts are usually without doors thereby leaving the driver at risk of falling out or crashing.
Increased Visibility
One reason why it is not advisable to drive a golf cart at night is because of its visibility to people. Depending on the type of golf cart you have, you may have to put measures in place to improve its visibility.
Some visibility measures are adding lights such as;
- Headlights
- Taillights
- Turn signal, etc.
Putting this in place will make you visible to people even when you drive at night.
Conclusion
Before driving in a neighborhood with your golf cart, know what the rules and regulations are. Following the rules laid down by the state/city will keep you out of trouble.
Also be sure to put some safety measures in place, doing this will be beneficial to you and those around you.
When driving a golf cart around a neighborhood, your safety and that of other road users should be put into consideration therefore, it is usually not advisable to drive a golf cart around at night.
Driving around a neighborhood at night without putting some safety measures in place will only do more harm than good. Asides from the safety measures, there are other determinants as to the places to can drive a golf cart.