4-wheel electric vehicles are no longer just for the golf course. As they become street legal in many communities, families are ditching minivans and SUVs in favor of golf carts for errands and cruising around town.
"A slow-moving cavalry is conquering America's public roads," the Wall Street Journal recently observed.
While these vehicles are changing how people get around in smaller towns, not everyone is on board. "Since when did we decide golf carts were acceptable street vehicles?" one Reddit user asked.
"Sounds like a rich people problem," another user commented.
"I started hearing about them, called NEVs – 'neighborhood electric vehicles' – back in 2008, as a more environmentally friendly solution to reduce congestion for short distances," another user wrote.
"Then rich people started thinking they were fashionable," another chimed in. "They're a plague in my neighborhood," someone else added.
But one person countered, "Golf carts are much safer than pickup trucks, SUVs, and even sedans. Golf carts are fundamentally safer vehicles for the driver, cyclists, and pedestrians than cars."
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A golf cart on a street in Brunswick, Georgia, USA. Photo: NJ Advance Media |
A golf cart on a street in Brunswick, Georgia, USA. Photo: NJ Advance Media
The original poster continued: "I'm not judging. I just don't get it. We don't have any golf courses nearby. I feel like it's probably more common in farther-out suburbs. I regularly see them driving through the neighborhood or even on bigger streets nearby where the speed limit is 40 mph (64 kph). Sometimes, it's teens/minors driving them. Is this a common trend?"
Paul Ernest, a photographer in Texas, shared, "These things are dangerous. They're around much bigger vehicles, and when they're operated by kids without adult supervision, it’s a recipe for disaster."
Ernest recalled witnessing a young woman driving a golf cart with her eyes glued to her phone before nearly colliding with a pickup truck.
In Ohio, a missing 45-year-old man was found dead in August, marking the second body recovered from Lake Atwood that month, after a mother and her young child drove a golf cart into the lake.
Many support golf carts. In Elburn, Illinois, a petition gathered over 600 signatures to legalize golf carts on local roads. However, the village board voted against the proposal.
Melissa Bollivar, who helped gather signatures, disagreed with the board's decision. "You've got seat belts. You've got mirrors. You've got a cage around you. I feel they're safer than e-bikes, scooters, and everything else flying around here," she said.
The city of Greenville in South Carolina recently reminded residents of a new state law regulating golf carts. "If you own a golf cart in GreenvilleSC, a new state law is in effect. Requirements for registration, drivers and rules of the road have been updated," the city announced on its X account.
Under the new law, golf carts are only permitted on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph (56 kph) or lower and must operate within 4 miles (6.4 km) of the owner's residence.
Greenville isn't alone in aiming to manage the rise in golf cart traffic. In Peachtree City, Georgia – a town of just over 38,000 residents – there are over 11,000 registered golf carts, according to the town's website.
According to the state’s traffic crash reporting system, golf carts and go-karts were involved in 50 traffic crashes, resulting in three fatalities in Michigan in 2023.
Many counties in Michigan have enacted ordinances and laws to ensure the safety of those riding in these types of vehicles. For example, the state doesn't allow these vehicles to operate 30 minutes before sunset or 30 minutes after sunrise. Additionally, drivers are not allowed to weave in and out of traffic. These vehicles are also not allowed to be driven on sidewalks.
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