The Fundamentals of Golf Cart & Community Path Safety

Golf cart safety in The Landings continues to be a high priority, and it seems that we are continually talking about it. In fact, I looked through our archives and found an article from a couple of years ago that I had written in addition to the many that were written before mine. Once again, I find myself pondering what I can say that will be any different from the past.

At the time I wrote my first cart safet article, I had received an email from a concerned resident because he had witnessed the perfect example of a golf cart driver who yielded to bicyclists, pedestrians, and other carts. He stated that the driver actually slowed down and pulled his cart partially off the path to allow others to safely pass. At this point, you might be asking yourself why this resident was concerned enough to share this story with me. He was concerned because he was so surprised to witness this golf cart driver being courteous and safety conscious. Let that marinate for a minute…he was surprised because the golf cart driver did exactly what he is supposed to do! Sadly, that’s the only story I have heard about someone doing the right thing. All too often we hear about golf carts blowing past bicyclists, pedestrians, and other carts without a care in the world. It is important to note that most people are courteous and careful with their carts, but the small majority have a huge impact on all of us.

If you haven’t brushed up on the Rules and Regulations in the last couple of years, you may not have noticed that we added an entire section of golf cart rules and another of community path rules to assist with our safety endeavors. I am not going to bore you by copying and pasting all the rules here for you to read, but I would like to share a few that you might find useful.

• Any person operating a Golf Cart must have in their possession a valid operator’s license.
• Golf Cart capacity limits must be observed. Seating capacity shall not exceed six people, and all passengers must be seated. No person or animal may sit in the driver’s lap while the cart is in motion. Standing or hanging on to the Golf Cart while in motion is prohibited.
• Golf Carts do not have the right-of-way on paths, roads, or in crosswalks. Golf Carts must yield to licensed vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, while on any Community Path.
• Pedestrians always shall be given the right-of-way by other path users.
• Cyclists always shall be given the right-of-way by golf carts on the path, and golf cart drivers must provide at least three feet of total distance when passing cyclists.
• The speed limit on all Community Paths is 18 MPH unless otherwise specified.

You can find all of the Rules and Regulations on our website (www.landings.org/resources > Governing Documents > Rules and Regulations) or click here.

Just like professional athletes must train to master the basics of their chosen profession, we have to “train” on the basics of golf cart safety. Following are some general guidelines that should serve you well regardless of your locale.

• Share the “roadway” - Most of the trails in the community are common trails, meaning they are designated for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and golf carts. Pedestrians and cyclists always have the rights-of-way on common trails, so when you are driving your cart, maintain a safe speed with the anticipation that you may need to stop. The act of yielding is not simply avoiding a collision with the other party. Consider how you yield when driving around one of Savannah’s beautiful squares and use that same caution when driving your golf cart.
• Keep to designated paths and roadways - In most areas where golf carts are allowed, there are designated paths and marked lanes for them to travel. There also are several “cart-free zones” where you are not allowed to operate a golf cart. Please refer to page 27 of the 2023 Landings Residential Directory for these designated zones.
• Maintain a safe driving speed - Like regular vehicles, golf carts have a maximum speed. However, this does not mean you should have “the pedal to the metal” at all times. Reduce your speed when driving during inclement weather, when making sharp turns, or anytime your line-of-sight is reduced. Although 15 mph may not seem very fast while you are driving, consider how it feels to the pedestrian you are passing who is walking at 3 mph.

Let’s all hold ourselves accountable for our actions. If you would not do something when driving your regular vehicle, why should you do it when driving a golf cart? I look forward to the day that a resident tells me they were surprised to see someone not yielding to pedestrians, cyclists, and other golf carts instead of the other way around. Don’t you?

The Landings Association collaborated with The Landings Golf & Athletic Club to create this golf cart safety video in 2013. The Landings Security uniforms featured in this video may be outdated but the information is still very much relevant.