Golf Cart safety

[Sloppyduner]

A friend asked about the golf carts she has seen with children not belted in and them being out in the dunes being driven by people not wearing helmets. or people hanging off them while going through the washes and Vendor row. She is disturbed that she has seen some "small children hanging on for dear life, while the buzz around" Didn't I read helmets are required while opperating golf carts? Has anyone ever been cited for this? I dug up this FAQ, and sure enough at the bottom it says..."you and your passenger would have to wear a helmet." Is that just for operation on the street? And if so SHOULDN'T it also go for the dunes? I don't see anybody driving a golf cart wear a helmet so I'm kinda at a loss of what "the rules" are for golf carts. Another question is what are the rules for young children riding in golf carts? Do they need to be restrained?
Question #39
http://www.glamisonline.org/dunes_law_e ... t_faqs.asp

[CrstyDmn]

Golf carts are like any other thing thats fun...
If you dont make smart choices...dumb things happen.
Hopefully people will use common sense, and LEO wont have to
enforce another item.

Hopefully they left the clubs at home

[SANDUNERS]

We have a great golf cart story in the last newsletter. (the online version)

Page 21

http://www.americansandassociation.org/ ... letter.pdf

[Voice]

39 I was stopped by a ranger for driving my golf cart on Gecko Road. My golf cart is street legal in AZ - has an AZ plate and as well as insurance. Is it legal in CA as well? CA recognizes AZ registration for cars, trucks, and even ATVs but not golf carts? What about the ones that are street legal inPalm Springs and registered with the CA DMV?

Golf carts can only be driven on golf courses or on highways (with resolution or ordinance) within one mile of a golf course and then only on
highways with speed limits of 25 mph or less. These golf carts are exempt from registration requirements. Golf carts operated off road, away from the golf course environment, are required to be registered,either in Calif. or your home state.

However, the rules and regulations concerning golf carts are confusing. At the moment I am trying to figure them out myself.

So far this is what I have learned:

Just because a vehicle is street legal in Arizona does not necessarily make them street legal in California. I have been told, by good sources, that even if a vehicle has a street legal Calif. license plate, they are not necessarily street legal.

A golf cart by definition (CVC) is, "a vehicle having not less than three wheels in contact with the ground, having an unladen weight less than 1,300 pounds, which is designed to be and is operated at not more than 15 mph and designed to carry golf equipment and not more than two persons including the driver".

Anything that has seating for more than two people would not be considered a golf cart, it may be considered a passenger vehicle. The
definition of a passenger vehicle according to the CVC is, "any motor vehicle, other than a motortruck, truck tractor, or a bus, and used or
maintained for the transportation of persons". To be a passenger vehicle in California, and to be street legal, the vehicle would have all of the proper equipment applicable to a car. There may also be other restrictions. To confuse things even further, a golf cart falls under the
equipment laws regulating motorcycles, which means in addition to all the safety equipment required for motorcycles, you and your passenger would have to wear a helmet.

The author here admits that he is uninformed and requires more research. (Even though this answer is several years old)

I've read quite a bit of the California Vehicle Code and I've never seen anything which would classify a Golf Cart as a "motorcycle", and even if it did, helmets are not required, off-road, on a motorcycle.

Even the new side by sides like the Yamaha Rhino do not seem to require a helmet. New things like these tend to fall under the "All standard equiped safety devices must be in working order and used." Which would make the requirement for side by sides pretty much seatbelts only.

Most "Golf Carts" that are seen in Glamis have long since lost their "Golf Cart" status and would most likely be classified as a "special build" or "Home build" vehicle. There are very few regulations regarding these types of vehicles.

I would expect a new law in the future concerning this matter. I would guess that if they were smart... (and they never are)... they would do some all inclusive rule that went something like this...

Any vehicle driven off-road is subject to the following...
With roll-cage that meets certain standards... Seat belts required...
No roll-cage ... Helmet required...

[Barley101]

That's way too easy.. and makes way too much sence Voice! It could never work!