While many people may not think of golf carts as being dangerous, they certainly can be.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 10,000 emergency room visits each year result from golf cart accidents. About 40% of these accidents involve someone falling out of the golf cart. Roughly 10% involve a rollover. In fact, turning at just 11 mph is fast enough to throw passengers out of a golf cart.
We at Jebaily Law Firm would like our fellow South Carolinians to stay safe while driving golf carts. Consider the following dos and don’ts when you are driving a golf cart.
Myrtle Beach Golf Cart Safety Tips
Do
- Keep feet, legs, hands, and arms inside the vehicle.
- Obey traffic laws and the rules of the road.
- Use hand signals or turn signals to indicate upcoming turns.
- Check blind spots before turning.
- Avoid excessive speeds and sudden starts and stops
- Yield to pedestrians.
- Read the owner’s manual and get to know your vehicle.
- Operate the cart from the driver’s seat only.
- Maintain adequate distance between vehicles and pedestrians
- Look behind you before backing up.
Don’t
- Drive recklessly or joyride.
- Try to squeeze in extra passengers.
- Drive while intoxicated.
- Allow anyone to stand in the cart or on the platform located in the back.
- Accelerate until all passengers are safely inside the cart and buckled in.
- Text, read, or eat while driving.
- Drive during nighttime.
- Drive fast downhill.
- Drive in inclement weather
- Don’t fly around corners or attempt sharp turns at high speed.
South Carolina Golf Cart Laws
In South Carolina, golf carts must have a permit decal and proper registration issued from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Golf cart registration is granted when the owner presents proof of ownership and liability insurance for the vehicle and pays a $5 fee. Permits have to be replaced every five years.
To operate a golf cart in South Carolina, you must be at least 16 years old and have valid driver’s license. Carts can only be operated during daylight hours and within four miles of the address on the registration certificate. They can only be driven on a secondary highway or street in which the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less.
Myrtle Beach Golf Cart Insurance
When a golf cart accident occurs due to someone’s negligence, the injured party may be able a file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. The person filing suit must be able to demonstrate that the defendant failed in their responsibility to take reasonable care.
If you were injured in a golf cart accident in Myrtle Beach, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Jebaily Law Firm can help you determine fault and liability.
When it comes to insurance, it’s important to check to see if your golf cart is covered under homeowner’s insurance. However, many homeowners’ insurance policies provide little to no coverage for golf carts, just as car insurance policies typically will not offer protection for a golf cart.
You may be able to add on an endorsement to your existing homeowners’ or car insurance policy to cover your golf cart, or you may buy an insurance policy that’s specific for the golf cart. In South Carolina, proof of liability insurance for the golf cart is required to cover you whether you crashed a golf cart or if a golf cart struck your car.
South Carolina Golf Cart Accident Attorneys
Contact our Myrtle Beach golf cart accident attorneys today to schedule a free and confidential consultation. We will provide aggressive legal counsel as we fight to seek the maximum compensation you need and deserve.
