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Depends where you live as to whether golf carts are legal or not,in HOA developments they seem to be popular or isolated communities like Okracoke they are very popular but due to their extremely low speed mixing with regular traffic can pose problems.We had a company up here in Quebec that manufactured a line of electric vehicles but with a top speed of 30mph it just never got certified as street legal and the company eventually folded, the company had a good idea, golf carts with 4 season full weather protection. Zenn to cease electric car production - Montreal - CBC News
Funny you said Ocracoke my mom lived on the Island long before golf carts were popular.
I live in a community with over 90 miles of golf cart trails, Peachtree City, GA. We can get anywhere in the city with our golf carts. They are allowed on roads, as long as speed limit is 35MPH, or lower. The Gem cars are allowed on roads that the speed limit is 45MPH or less. The golf carts must have headlights, tail lights and a way to give audible signal to walkers or bikers on path.
Last year, we trailered our golf cart to Ocracoke. My son who was 15 got pulled over by police for not having headlights on at night. Which he should have, but then the cop made my GF(44) drive because he wrongly assumed the golf cart was a rental and to rent you have to be over 18.
Laws vary widely firm state to state. In SC on can drive a golf cart on non-state roads. They can cross a state road but not travel on it. The driver must be 16 and possess a SC drivers license. Some towns have bans on them unless they are street ready (lights, horn, seat belts, etc.)
IMHO, this is one of the reasons in my opinion, there should be some sort of national standards. Although I agree that will be tough since Golf Carts can typically only be used on local roads...
This thread as a whole shows just how confusing this can be to the average person.
IMHO, this is one of the reasons in my opinion, there should be some sort of national standards. Although I agree that will be tough since Golf Carts can typically only be used on local roads...
This thread as a whole shows just how confusing this can be to the average person.
The problems is people are saying and confusing Gold Carts with Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV). Golf carts are NOT Neighborhood Electric Vehicles even though they can look the same. Golf carts do not have any type of federal recognized motor vehcile status while NEV's are covered under the NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 500. NEV's will also have actual VIN numbers and are all lised in the databases insurance companies use to check vehilces for insurance since in most states that allow them ont he road, you must have insurance and a DMV registration. NEV's VIN numbers are reported to law enforcement databases and if stolen, are treated just like a regualr vehicle. In most states that registers new NEVs they will issue you a title.
Whenever a person is looking at these alternatibe modes of transportation, they have to make sure when speaking to suppliers, insurance company, and regulatory bodies that they specify if they have a golf cart or an actual Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. Although you can convert a golf cart to be street legal, only NEVs are born with that right.
There are model regulations being proposed and some states have begun adopting them and modifying their laws as they become more educated on what is an NEV.
All states have their own laws regulating operations of motor vehicles. Please let's not encourage the federal government to take any more authority away from the states & we, the people!
All states have their own laws regulating operations of motor vehicles. Please let's not encourage the federal government to take any more authority away from the states & we, the people!
This is not about asking the federal government anything. The federal governement already created a classification for these low speed vehicles, just like they did for passenger cars, motorcycles, vans, buses, trucks, etc. All people are asking is for them to help EDUCATE state and local governments about the difference between NEVs and golf carts.
All too often, if you speak with state or local offcials about these vehicles, they get caught up into thinking only golf carts, or they think NEVs are golf carts. So they ban them because they are confusing federal recognized and classifed vehicles as being a golf cart. It has been decribed as confusing street legal limited speed scooters for a moped just becaue they look alike.
Now, I will conceed that a big problem is that many US manufactured NEVs look like golf carts. Also, due to the lack of understanding and education, when NEVs are allowed, people assume it means golf carts so they drive their carts in violation of the regulations. In other countires, NEV's look more like mini cars and not so much amercian golf carts. Its these issue why people look to the feds to provide education so meaningful regulations are made instead of made based on a lack of knowledge, or because of plain on thinking they are all the same.
There are also electric/hybrid UTVs available for rural off-road or rough-road where a golf cart or NEV won't hack it. Most UTVs & 4x4s already have most of the street-legal modifications that allow them to be driven on rural roads and lower speed rural state routes (location specific). Titan UTV and John Deere Gator are two with good track records.
This is not about asking the federal government anything. The federal governement already created a classification for these low speed vehicles, just like they did for passenger cars, motorcycles, vans, buses, trucks, etc. All people are asking is for them to help EDUCATE state and local governments about the difference between NEVs and golf carts.
All too often, if you speak with state or local offcials about these vehicles, they get caught up into thinking only golf carts, or they think NEVs are golf carts. So they ban them because they are confusing federal recognized and classifed vehicles as being a golf cart. It has been decribed as confusing street legal limited speed scooters for a moped just becaue they look alike.
Now, I will conceed that a big problem is that many US manufactured NEVs look like golf carts. Also, due to the lack of understanding and education, when NEVs are allowed, people assume it means golf carts so they drive their carts in violation of the regulations. In other countires, NEV's look more like mini cars and not so much amercian golf carts. Its these issue why people look to the feds to provide education so meaningful regulations are made instead of made based on a lack of knowledge, or because of plain on thinking they are all the same.
You are correct in that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration department has classified NEV's. And there is a definite distinction made between a golf cart and NEV's. So I assume it's up to the individual states to look up the NHTSA classifications, safety requirements/regulations, speed limit & road permissions and create additional regulations specific to their state if said state chooses to permit NEV's on public roads? If people want NEV's to be legal in their state, it sounds like they will have to contact their legislators and work with them to write legislation.
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my mom lived on the Island long before golf carts were popular. 
