Golf carts continue to grow popular outside golf courses for three big reasons: they’re cheap, easy to use and convenient. You’ll see them in retirement communities, beach towns and neighborhoods across Florida.
But as more people use golf carts to get around outside of golf courses, more accidents happen as well.
Florida hotspots for golf cart accidents
Most accidents don’t happen on golf courses. Instead, they happen on regular roads, crosswalks and sidewalks where golf carts mix with cars and pedestrians. Neighborhoods with golf cart-friendly paths see more accidents, too.
The Villages, as Florida’s largest retirement community, have the most number of golf cart injury victims in the state. Retirees living here primarily use golf carts as their main mode of transportation around the neighborhood. Other retirement communities where retirees often use golf carts as their main way to get around record many golf cart accidents as well.
Aside from retirees, teenagers and children are also high up on the list of golf cart accident victims. Since golf carts are easy to drive and have low speeds, parents sometimes let teens drive golf carts in neighborhoods without much supervision.
The truth behind golf cart incidents
Falling off cause 38% of all golf cart-related injuries, which shows a major safety problem. This highlights how golf carts lack many safety features that regular motor vehicles have:
- No doors to keep people from falling out during turns or crashes
- Minimal or non-existent seat belts
- No turn signals to warn other drivers
- No airbags for protection
- Light frames that crush easily in accidents
These missing safety features mean even minor collisions can cause major injuries or even death, especially when carts tip over or passengers fall onto hard pavement. In fact, Florida has the highest number of golf cart-related deaths from 2022 to 2023.
Taking golf cart safety seriously
Golf carts may look harmless, but these low-speed vehicles can cause injuries just as life-altering as ones you’d get in any other car accident. Remember, these vehicles offer minimal protection in crashes. Even low-speed impacts can potentially result in serious injuries.
Driving responsibly and following all regulations helps keep yourself and others safe on Florida’s roads and paths.