Hello everyone!  First off, I wanted to say THANK YOU to all those people reading my blogs.  I’ve received some positive feedback recently and it’s a relief to know that our customers are engaging in these blogs.  They do take a great deal of time to create.  We are going to strive towards getting a blog posted every month.

This week’s blog is very important to me.  We are talking GOLF CART SAFETY.  As the owner of Carts Gone Wild, I can’t think of a more important subject.  I hope it’s equally important to our customers.  We ALWAYS want our customers to be safe in our products.  We hope that our customers drive with a safety-first mentality.  In general, golf carts are a safe and reliable means of transportation.  We usually find that most accidents are a direct result of driver error or horseplay and many times involve alcohol consumption.  Golf carts are no different from any other ride toys.  They can be unsafe if abused.  We want to go over some general things that come to mind regarding golf cart safety.  These are things that we have heard from our customers.  Plus, we want to explain some accessories that can improve golf cart safety.  Accessories that may be common with your passenger vehicle.

ACCIDENTS INVOLVING YOUNG DRIVERS:

The most common issue that we hear are accidents involving children.  Let’s face it, many people turn over the keys to the golf cart and let kids drive without any supervision.  We highly advise against doing this!  Grandparents are the guiltiest, because they rarely have the ability to say NO.  We’ve all been young before.  Kids realty don’t have the ability to drive safe and make quick decisions.  Kids don’t have the mental capacity to stay focused on driving safe.  I refer to it as…..easily distracted.  LOL.  Riding around the yard slowly with an experienced adult driver is probably the only way to avoid issues.  I’ve seen numerous cases where people give the keys to a young child.  Remember that kids will almost always drive at full throttle.  They head down a hill and get going way too fast.  They over-correct and crash.  It can lead to a very serious accident.  As a dealer, we recommend not letting children drive golf carts.  It’s bad practice.  We recommend that adults do the driving!  The kids will enjoy the ride.        

ROLL OVER:  

There are 2 basic types of carts when it comes to safety.  Non-lifted and lifted.  I will try to explain each of these and a few concerns that come along with each of them.

Non-lifted golf carts can be equally dangerous if not driven safely.  Non-lifted means they are standard designed height.  They might have larger than stock tires, but the suspension hasn’t been modified.  Many people believe they can’t be turned over and that is WRONG!  Golf carts have narrow wheel bases, so roll over is always a possibility. We often see non-lifted golf carts turned over at the golf courses.  It’s always the direct result of horseplay.  Driving unsafe, playing on cell phones while driving, getting off the cart path, etc.  Paying attention and being alert are really the most important factors.        

Lifted golf carts are prone to turning over.  Especially when driven on hilly terrain.  The most common roll over happens when driving sideways on a hill.  The driver will over-correct or yank the wheel and the cart will roll over.

I would venture to say that we’ve had about 30 cases of a golf cart rolling over since we started selling carts in 2003.  Although most have been with lifted carts, there have been a few non-lifted cart accidents.  The main concern with rolling the cart is getting trapped or having the weight of the cart pin people to the ground.  It can also throw people off causing injury.  Drive alert and remember safety first!

FALLING OFF:

The 2nd most common accident is people falling off golf carts.  It’s usually children that fall off.  Folks, if you plan to have young passengers on your golf cart, then GET YOURSELF SOME SEATBELTS!  Seat belts save lives.  Seat belts in a golf cart serve a different purpose than the belts in your vehicle.  They are mainly there to keep passengers in their seats.  They are mainly there to keep passengers from falling out.  Remember that you get one brain.  Falling off a golf cart at any speed and hitting your head on the road or hard surface can permanently damage your brain.  It’s not worth the risk and it’s not fair to let children ride without them.  It can result in permanent damage or even death.  Make sure your passengers are seat belted securely while riding.  Again, Grandparents are the worst offenders.  Most children can talk their grandparents into anything!  Please keep them safe and make sure they are using seat belts.  It’s less than $100 per row for nice retractable seat belts.  I myself have witnessed close friends letting their kids ride without seatbelts.  I’ve seen them fall off and hit their heads.  It makes me so upset to watch this, because it’s so easy to prevent.  BUCKLE UP!


REVERSE BEEPER:

We get the same request all the time to eliminate noisy reverse beepers.  Don’t bother asking us, because it’s a huge liability for us as a dealer.  Back up beepers are there for a reason.  They alert people of the golf cart being in reverse motion.  Reverse beepers can save people from injury.  It’s not going to prevent every issue from happening, but it’s yet another safety feature that was put in place for a reason.  We’ve heard stories about other dealers disconnecting these reverse beepers.  There was a dealer down south that disconnected the reverse beeper for a customer.  The customer ended up backing up over their child, which resulted in death.  We understand that it’s a small chance, but one life saved is invaluable.  Leave the reverse beeper alone.  You never know when someone is back there not paying attention.  This buzzer gets their attention.


OVERALL SAFETY INVOLVING ACCESSORIES:

We get asked about safety related accessories all the time.  Here’s my thoughts as a dealer.  If you have the money to make the purchase, then put some emphasis on safety.  Be as safe as possible on the public roads.  Not just for you, but also for the passengers.  Here is a quick list of items that we believe help overall safety:

  • DOT Reflectors, slow moving vehicle sign, and bicycle flag on the back of the golf cart.  Makes you more visible to other drivers.  Being visible is key!
  • Seat belts.  We recommend retractable for all passengers.
  • Mirrors.  Side folding or overhead rear-view mirror.  You can see what’s coming from behind.
  • Flashing amber light.  These drastically help you be more visible to other drivers.
  • LED whip flags or LED lights in general.  They are so bright that you can’t miss them!
  • Turn signals, brake lights, horn, etc.  Adds additional safety for obvious reasons.
  • Safety grab bar.  This mounts to rear seat and can help getting on and off the cart safely.
  • Windshield.  If in the up position, it can provide against flying objects.
  • LED folding side mirrors.  Oncoming drivers can see your turn signals better if flashing in mirrors.
  • Brighter LED headlights and even LED light bars.  Add additional vision to drivers.  Some of the old bulb style headlights are nearly useless.
  • Stock front seat handles.  LEAVE THEM ON THE CART!  They help hold the driver and passengers in place.

Well, that’s a wrap folks!  I hope that you find this blog useful.  Again, I want everyone to know that GOLF CART SAFETY is near and dear to my heart.  There is NOTHING more important than safe driving and safe riding.  We want our customers to enjoy their products while being safe. 

Thanks to everyone!  Have a fantastic day.  Don’t forget to let me know that you are reading our blogs. 

Please be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.