Golf CARS
making
NEWS
U
tah Legislature OKs golf carts on streets
First, the Legislature allowed electric scooters.
Now it gave the final green light on Thursday to allow
unlicensed golf carts on local roads, too.
The Senate voted unanimously on Thursday — as the
House did earlier — to approve HB184, and sent it to
Gov. Gary Herbert for his possible signature.
It will allow cities to decide whether to allow golf
carts on their streets. If they do, it requires them to
decide on which streets they are allowed, who may
drive, and at what hours — which could include ban-
ning child or unlicensed drivers.
The bill was requested by Elk Ridge, a city in Utah
County. Many of its residents moved there to be near
the Gladstan Golf Course, and own carts that they
would like to take around town.
Elk Ridge City Council member Jim Chase said a
problem arises in how to ticket and stop the children
as young as 8 years old that he sees driving carts
around his city all the time.
“And the carts are full of other kids. And it’s not mom
or dad sitting next to them. It’s an older brother,” he
said. “Some are so short they can barely see over the
steering wheel.”
Chase said his city found that it cannot ticket those
kids unless it also cites adult cart drivers — because
no golf carts are allowed on public Utah roads under
current state law. Officials said the bill sponsored by
Rep. Marc Roberts, R-Salem, would permit allowing
carts on streets, but ban children driving them.
The bill does some surprising things, considering that
carts would be vehicles allowed on public roads. Cart
owners who drive on city streets would not be re-
quired to obtain insurance, license plates nor vehicle
registration.
The bill adds that golf carts essentially would be
treated like bicycles. As it says, “A golf cart shall com-
ply with the same requirement as a bicycle for traffic
rules.”
APRIL 2020
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