Golf carts play an important role in everyday life for many retirees, including those in The Villages and throughout the rest of Florida. Although these vehicles help users conveniently travel from one place to another, they also come with certain risks. More than 20 people have died in golf cart accidents in The Villages alone in the last decade.
The good news is that golf cart drivers and passengers can take certain basic steps to enhance their safety. Golf cart users often ask whether it’s a good idea to get their chariots equipped with seatbelts. Here’s why buckling up is the way to go.
It’s Smart to Click It
Many golf carts come off of the factory line without seat belts to accommodate golfers who frequently get in and out of the vehicles while they’re playing. For the rest of us, the case against a seat belt is often the fear that a person driving or riding in a golf cart will be trapped in it if the cart rolls over during an accident. Those kinds of accidents can happen when a golf cart collides with another vehicle, but can also be caused by steep surfaces and obstructed roadways.
The truth is that operating a golf cart without a seat belt 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 painful — and sometimes tragically fatal—fall to the ground.
Golf carts, as the names suggests, were designed to operate on golf courses. The vehicles have been enhanced for everyday living, including in retirement communities like The Villages. People who use the carts in that way should treat them like any other vehicle capable of traveling up to 20 miles per hour. In other words: buckle up.
Talk With a Villages Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart accident, you have the right to seek compensation from those responsible for the crash. That is true regardless of whether you were wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. It’s important that you seek the advice and counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney, who can help you weigh your options and build the strongest possible case.
Villages accident attorney Tim Babiarz has been representing people involved in collisions for more than two decades. Our office is conveniently located in The Villages. Our firm is proud to fight for clients in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield and beyond. Call (352) 205-7599 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
