Should Golf Carts Include Seat Belts?
Seat belts for golf carts–you’ve got to be kidding, right? Nope. Golf-cart fatalities aren’t an everyday occurrence, but they do occur more often than you might think. Last month, a woman in South Carolina was killed following a golf cart accident, raising the question: Should seat belts be mandatory on golf carts? In this case, though, seat belts weren’t the primary issue–alcohol was involved. Here’s a snippet from the Insurance Journal:
“Anita Kay Bergeson, 37, of Knoxville, Tenn., was riding with her boyfriend in his parents’ golf cart in Sun City at about 11 p.m. June 4. She had a beer in one hand and her feet propped on the dash, according to the Sheriff’s Office report. When her boyfriend made a sharp left turn, she fell out, hit her head and died.
“Investigators deemed it an accident but said the sharp turn and the fact that Bergeson was not holding onto the cart and did not have her feet planted on the floor contributed to her fall.”
In addition to wearing seat belts, experts advise driving during daylight, taking it slow and, of course, not consuming alcohol while operating any vehicle, even a golf cart.