Golf Cart Controversy

Written by Jennifer Gayle

Thursday, 24 July 2008

OFFICIALS ARE SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  DRIVERS NEED TO FOLLOW THE LAW OR THEY WILL GET A TICKET.      AND WE'RE NOT TALKING CARS, BUT GOLF CARTS AND ALL-TERAIN VEHICLES.  CALHOUN COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT BUT OFFICIALS ARE SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.       IT IS A QUICK TRIP TO THE LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE FOR ONE RESIDENT AS HE LEAVES THE SPEEDY STOP IN PORT O'CONNOR.       THOMAS SKALAK SAYS HE BOUGHT HIS GOLF CART FOUR MONTHS AGO AND IS SAVING MONEY BY CHARGING HIS GOLF CART INSTEAD OF FILLING-UP THE CAR WITH GAS.  "You know gas is getting expensive, its almost four dollars a gallon.  I figure I am going to invest in something," says Thomas Skalak, Port O'Connor Resident.      BUT OFFICIALS ARE SAYING GOLF CARTS AND ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR REGULAR USE AS TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES.      GOLF CARTS CAN BE DRIVEN ON PUBLIC ROADS, BUT ONLY IF THE DRIVER FOLLOWS REGULATIONS SUCH AS STAYING WITHIN TWO MILES OF A GOLF COURSE.  AND IF NOT, THE GOLF CART MUST BE REGISTERED, HAVE PLATES AND THE PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT.        HOWEVER, ALL- TERRAIN VEHICLES LIKE A GATOR OR A MULE ARE NOT ALLOWED ON PUBLIC STREETS, ROADS OR HIGHWAYS EXCEPT TO CROSS THE ROAD. RESIDENTS IN CALHOUN COUNTY ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT.     I ASKED ANOTHER PORT O'CONNOR RESIDENT, WHY HE THOUGHT OFFICIALS WERE TRYING TO STOP RESIDENTS FROM DRIVING THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES.  "Because most of the problem is the kids.  Parents are letting the kids take them, they dont' watch, they don't know to watch," says Jerry Nutt.      OFFICIALS SAY SMALL COMMUNITIES HAVE VERY LITTLE OR NO TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES IN MANY INTERSECTIONS AND SOME PARENTS ARE ALLOWING  UNDER AGE CHILDREN AND TEENS WITHOUT A LICENSE TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL.  "They are allowing underage drivers that have no idea about the traffic laws and have no comprehension of it and ther getting younger and younger individuals on these golf carts, riding around with six or eight kids on a cart," says Chief Deputy Mark Daigle, Calhoun County.  OFFICIALS SAY, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, PARENTS WHO ALLOW CHILDREN WITHOUT A DRIVERS LICENSE AND ARE UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN  TO OPERATE GOLF CARTS OR ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES  ON PUBLIC ROADS COULD BE FINED UP TO FIVE-HUNDRED DOLLARS.       CALHOUN COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL START A ZERO TOLERANCE ON THE OPERATION OF GOLF CARTS AND ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES WITHIN THE NEXT THIRTY DAYS, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CLASS C MISDAMEANOR AND A HIGH-PRICED TICKET.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 July 2008 )