January 2019 January 2019 | Page 12

: s t r a C f l o G s ’ Children e B n e r d l i h C d l u Sho Driving Them? G olf carts aren’t limited to the golf course anymore. People have started driving these vehicles on college cam- puses, gated communities, retirement homes, private property, parks, and hiking trails. These carts have even found their way onto public roads. But why do people like driving golf carts so much? Well, there are a few reasons. Golf carts are leisure vehicles. And if you have a leisure vehicle, you may as well drive it any chance you have. Golf carts also drive at a low speed. Many golf carts can’t go over 15 MPH, and “fast” golf carts don’t reach speeds higher than 25 MPH. Because of these low speeds, many people believe that people of all ages can safely drive golf carts. What these people don’t realize is that 12 WWW.GOLFCAROPTIONS.COM “children’s golf carts” aren’t always as safe The number of golf cart-related injuries as they seem, has gone up in the last several years. Many of these injuries ranged from mod- Should Children Drive Golf Carts? erate to severe. Children should NEVER drive any kind of golf cart on their own, especially without supervision. Kids don’t have the right judgment and motor skills needed to operate a vehicle, even a slow one. Giving a child per- mission to drive a golf cart can result in serious injury. Golf carts aren’t like bikes. They don’t make good toys. While it might not look like a car, you should always treat a golf cart like a car. No one under the age of sixteen should ever get behind the wheel of any motor vehicle, and that includes a golf cart What Kind of Injuries Result from Golf Cart Accidents? The injuries were actually worse in older children. So people who think to let their older kids drive golf carts is a perfectly safe idea are mistaken. Golf carts don’t have doors or sides like traditional cars. Because of this, the most common cause of injury was getting thrown from the cart. Another common cause of injury was overturning the cart altogether. Some of the resulting injuries include the following: Bruises Lacerations Fractures Internal Injuries Concussions Respiratory Compromise Subdural Hematoma