Authorities warn of cart driving on public streets

With the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas just under the $4 mark, some Wiregrass residents are trying to save a few dollars by switching vehicles, but their choice isn’t exactly street legal.

People have reportedly taken to using golf carts to run that last-minute errand to the store or just to cruise around their neighborhood.
Cottonwood Police Chief Jim Smith said his department has fielded multiple complaints of golf carts on public roads and county highways over the past several months.

“We are receiving complaints, more than usual,” Smith said. “A lot of people are resorting to it just to ride around and run errands. We’re seeing more of them because of the high gas prices.”

The vehicles are only legally allowed to be driven on private property, Smith said. The town of Cottonwood has not started giving out citations because there have not been many repeat offenders.

Police have received reports of children and adults driving golf carts on roads with posted speed limits up to 45 mph, including Cottonwood Road, Hickory Grove Road, State Line Road and Houston County Road 55. Last year police were called to a single-vehicle crash involving a golf cart that left two 15-year-olds with minor injuries after it overturned, Smith said.

“Our concern is when we’re getting underage folks driving them,” Smith said. “We’re literally getting children driving them on the main roads. We’re talking children in the 10 to 12 age range. Adults tend to exercise good judgement, but with children they’re inexperienced and they can get into a situation where they can harm themselves.”

Henry County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Hal Cox said they too have responded to several golf cart complaints. Cox said deputies have not caught anyone to issue citations, and stressed the importance of keeping them off the public roads and right of way.

“They don’t have proper lighting and the other safety features an automobile has,” Cox said. “We’re concerned for the safety of the people driving them.”

While other law enforcement agencies have not fielded reported golf cart complaints in recent months, including the Dothan Police Department, officials call safety the main concern.

Dothan Police Department Capt. Greg Benton, supervisor of patrol, said the vehicles are not “street legal.” He said the city had a reported problem with golf carts about a year ago in the Highlands subdivision, but none in recent months. People caught driving the vehicles on city streets could face a traffic citation and a fine. But Benton could not recall the last time the city had issued a citation for the violation.

Doug Williams, the owner of The Cart Guys on Ross Clark Circle, which specializes in the sale of golf carts, said he’s seen a few more of the vehicles leave his lot than usual. Most of the golf carts sold at his business top out at 12 to 15 mph, with possible modifications to reach nearly 30 mph. Batteries power most of the vehicles sold from the The Cart Guys, along several with others which are powered by gas.

Williams said they can install many of the needed safety features for golf carts, including seat belts, brake lights, blinkers, windshields, and horns.

“We install light packages, and we can install everything to make it ready for the road,” Williams said. “Hopefully one day we can make it so you can get a permit through the probate office to use them. An electric cart just takes pennies to operate.”