Causes of Golf Cart Accidents in Florida
Depending on your perspective, Florida is either one of the most fun places to ride a golf cart or the most dangerous. Florida’s legal definition of a golf cart is a box-shaped vehicle that does not have headlights or seatbelts and travels at a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. You might have seen vehicles that look like golf carts patrolling the grounds of your apartment complex or the campus of your school, but those are low-speed vehicles (LSVs). They have a faster maximum speed than golf carts, and they also have car-like safety features, including seatbelts and headlights. It is legal to drive golf carts on some Florida roads, all of which have a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less. There are even designated golf cart crossing on some roads with higher speed limits where these roads pass close to golf courses. This all sounds reasonable until you consider that, to drive a golf cart on public roads that allow golf carts, you do not need a driver’s license. You must only be at least 14 years old. To drive on private property, such as a golf course, there is no minimum age. This means that, at any moment, unlicensed teens may be driving golf carts in vehicular traffic, and elementary school kids might be careening through a golf course at 20 miles per hour. If you have been injured in an accident involving a golf cart, contact a Jacksonville car accident lawyer.
Collisions Between a Golf Cart and a Car Are Just the Beginning
It goes without saying that, if a car collides with a golf cart, the results can be disastrous. Who can forget the tragic accident in South Carolina where a drunk driver hit a golf cart as it was leaving a wedding reception, killing the bride and injuring the groom and two other family members? Even though a car driving at car speed hitting a golf cart traveling at golf cart speed is the worst-case scenario, there are plenty of other things that can go wrong with a golf cart that can lead to injuries, especially when inexperienced drivers are behind the wheel. These are some examples of how golf cart accidents can happen:
- Someone falls out of a golf cart
- People do not keep their arms and legs inside the golf cart while it is moving, and they get injured
- A golf cart turns over
- A golf cart strikes a pedestrian
- A golf cart collides with a pedestrian
If you get injured in a golf cart accident, you may seek compensation for your accident-related medical bills. The best way to do this is to file an insurance claim with the owner of the golf cart, the person who was driving it, or, if the driver was a minor, with the driver’s parent.
Contact Douglas & Douglas About Golf Cart Accident Cases
A North Florida personal injury lawyer can help you if you got injured in a golf cart accident on a golf course or public road. Contact Douglas & Douglas in Jacksonville, Florida for a free consultation.
Source:
flhsmv.gov/safety-center/consumer-education/low-speed-vehicles/
