The tragic death this past weekend of 60-year-old Kelly Novit could have been avoided had she been wearing a seatbelt.
Novit, the daughter of a Villager, died after falling from a golf cart and hitting her head on the asphalt pavement. Originally taken to UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages, she was transferred to Ocala Regional Medical Center where she died hours after the mishap in the Village of Rio Ponderosa.
Of course, there were other factors which led to her death. The driver of the golf cart was allegedly impaired when he swerved to avoid hitting a parked car. The golf cart was being operated in the wee hours of the morning.
However, a seatbelt could have been a game changer. A Villager would not be mourning the loss of her daughter. Another Villager probably wouldn’t be charged with DUI manslaughter.
Operating a golf cart without a seatbelt is dangerous because it’s more likely that a person will be ejected from the vehicle during an accident. Many golf cart rollovers in The Villages happen at low speed and are caused by steep and hilly terrain. A person wearing a seat belt in a rollover accident has the added protection of the cart’s canopy and side structure. A person flung from the cart is in for a painful, and a sometimes tragically fatal, fall to the ground.
Golf carts were designed to operate on golf courses. But in The Villages, golf carts are a main mode of transportation, but that was not the intent of their original design. In addition, the designated speed limit for golf carts in The Villages is 20 miles per hour, but we all know that no one abides by that rule.
If you don’t have seatbelts in your golf cart, it’s time to make the investment, for yourself, and your passengers.