Too many golf cart drivers in The Villages are speeding

Too many golf cart drivers in The Villages are speeding.

Golf cart are not supposed to travel at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. However, we seldom see golf cart drivers obeying the 20 mph limit.

Safety experts will tell you that speeding is a major factor when it comes to traffic deaths and injuries. Excessive speeding reduces the amount of time the driver has to react in a dangerous situation to avoid a crash.

There are many more risk factors involved when golf carts are speeding.

First of all, many golf carts are not equipped with seatbelts. That means a sudden swerve, bounce or bump – exacerbated by high speed – could be dangerous and even deadly for those traveling in a golf cart. Too many times people have fallen from golf carts and experienced severe injury and even death.

Second, golf carts are frequently sharing the multi-modal paths in The Villages with vulnerable pedestrians and bicyclists. Too many times we’ve seen speeding golf carts passing pedestrians and bicyclists on the multi-modal paths, creating an unsafe sitiuation.

We also know that speeding and alcohol impairment often coincide. It’s against the law to drink to excess and drive a golf cart. It’s not acceptable to have open liquor while operating a golf cart.

We are pleading with golf cart drivers to slow down and enjoy their retirement. Being injured in a golf cart accident or causing injury to another person is simply not worth the minutes you might save by driving too fast.