Golf carts and YOU

Unfortunately with a tag (that was obtained properly) they are street legal.

My biggest pet peeve are the people who under some BS impression that the blue stripes in front of PBTS is a parking area for them. It's not, I don't care how quickly you are running in, it's wrong, and the people that do it are incredibly worthless human beings.

get used to it folks! i hate it too, but it is what it is. its really no different than a construction tractor. we all have to share the roads. tip: dont take 30a if your in a rush

To be legal on the streets, the tricked out golf carts must be on 'low speed' roadways (35mph or less and, according to Florida code:

2) A low-speed vehicle must be equipped with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and vehicle identification numbers.

Some good quick info about low speed vehicles and golf carts here:

Florida Law

Why would anybody pay 700 bucks to rent one of these stupid things for a week, or even for a day it's 150 smackerooos???? Isn't it easier and safer to just use your car, or with that nice bike trail -- burn some energy and ride a bicycle?

Here at home, I get so annoyed seeing little toddlers in my neighborhood, nobody's kid rides a tricycle anymore....they all have electric cars. And then they wonder why junior is 20 pounds fatter than he should be

Yesterday I almost got run over by four kids in a Jeep Wrangler going to get my mail at the curb.....and they beeped and yelled at me. If they weren't four years old, I would have shot them the finger.

Alrighty then, let's look like every other traffic bound, golf cart putting, cheek-to-jowl area of the Panhandle and turn this into motor vehicle heaven instead of a quiet retreat away from all of that. I give up. Never in a hurry down here but expect everyone to respect everyone else and maybe now and then look behind and give way to real traffic. Now don't get me started on bicycles that want us to believe "We are traffic, too," when in reality they are traffic impediments, too. But then again, that's just me.....hehehe

I love how people think a compact car or a Smart car is a death trap, but don't see any reason why they can't drive a golf cart down the HIGHWAY w/ kids hanging off the sides.

I love how people think a compact car or a Smart car is a death trap, but don't see any reason why they can't drive a golf cart down the HIGHWAY w/ kids hanging off the sides.

i agree. but, respectfully smart and/or compact cars are death traps. 30A is very different from everyday road usage than in most communities. 30A traffic is fairly slow for scenic viewing versus most roadways. ive been in many accidents and i certainly wouldnt have wanted to be in anything other than a standard sized car or truck. heck, i feel safer on my bike on the bike trail than anywhere else for that matter.

I own a street legal 4 wheel drive electrical cart...it is fully street legal, and comes with regular car insurance. I am unable to go out on to a street that has speeds posted higher than 35 mph. So I don't...I stay in my community. I do have a beach permit that allows me to go on beach...my cart is small, doesn't take up much parking space, doesn't use gas and I find it ideal for the small community in which I live. Perhaps the cart renter was not familiar with the Florida rules. Personally I have found 30A a rather slow moving road...slow drivers enjoying the beautiful view, bikers in clusters, slow moving construction vehicles, and folks not understanding 4 way stops. It's just part of the charm (?) of 30A.

Yesterday I almost got run over by four kids in a Jeep Wrangler going to get my mail at the curb.....and they beeped and yelled at me. If they weren't four years old, I would have shot them the finger.

:funn:

:funn:

Aggie, love the yearbook photo

The hostility of this thread makes me think some of you do not belong on 30A - chill out - life is short. Live and let live - I'm begging you!

The hostility of this thread makes me think some of you do not belong on 30A - chill out - life is short. Live and let live - I'm begging you!

Everyone belongs hostile or not. I'm sure there's something that ruffles your feathers.

I remember when I used to ride cardboard boxes down the dunes in the 60"s. Little bit different then.

Everyone belongs hostile or not. I'm sure there's something that ruffles your feathers.

I just get FURIOUS when you say that hostile people belong here! I'm going to quit coming to this site, and go get my golf cart and come over and RAM your vehicle, and tear up your landscaping, and put chewed up gum on your mailbox handle, you, you, twerp!

Plus, I'm going to find a female bull shark, and tell her that you called her a cow. :roll:

I remember when I used to ride cardboard boxes down the dunes in the 60"s. Little bit different then.

I know natives who claimed the dunes on Okaloosa Island before Opal/Ivan/Dennis were high enough that they actually dug snow skis out of someone's garage and went down the dunes on them.

I know natives who claimed the dunes on Okaloosa Island before Opal/Ivan/Dennis were high enough that they actually dug snow skis out of someone's garage and went down the dunes on them.

I can see that. I remember when the highest point along the Gulf Coast was a dune on St. George Island. That area is now completely flat.

I think some clarification on this thread is needed...

This is a street legal electric vehicle...



This is not...



There is a distiction somewhere in the law that differentiates what is and is not legal; however, Florida statue states that to be street legal the vehicle must meet the following criteria:
Stop lamps, turn signal lamps, headlamps, taillamps, parking brakes
Rearview mirrors, reflex reflectors, windshields, seat belts, and VIN's
Must be registered and insured in accordance with current regulations (s. 320.02)
The drivers of low speed vehicles must have valid driver?s licenses

By design, a golf cart has a top speed of 14mph (yes, that can be tweaked), but if it doesn't meet the standard of a top speed between 20 - 25mph, it doesn't meet the requirements.

My guess is that if you guys are seeing true golf carts with tags they have either been modified to have all of the above or the people in Walton Co who issue the tags aren't checking.

The problem may come from PCB who recently passed an ordinance allowing golf carts on streets other than Front, Middle, and Back Beach roads.

I am one of the people now using a "street-legal" electric cart on 30A. It is registered, it has a tag and is fully insured. They're known as LSV's (low speed vehicles) or NEV's (neighborhood electric vehicles) ... and you can drive them in Florida on roadways where the speed limit is 35 or lower. It has headlights, blinkers and seat belts. It's a blast to drive.

I like the idea of not running the SUV once I arrive here. I'm surprised that the many people who frequent this forum to talk about turtles and keeping the beach clean, would have an issue with something that is essentially a green machine.

My machine tops out at 20 mph. I keep a close eye on my rear view mirror and when I see that I am slowing traffic, I pull over and let folks pass. Most everyone has been nice about it. The waves have been friendly, and I get lots of questions when I make my afternoon ice cream run.

The reason you are probably seeing more of this is that between now and the end of the year, you can qualify for a pretty substantial tax credit when you buy a NEV. The tax break will pay for about 2/3rds of the cost of the vehicle.

I think 30A is a very special place where things move at a slower pace. The NEV is a nice fit for the lifestyle. It may be a small gesture -- but by using the NEV, I am substantially reducing my carbon footprint and "thinking locally." I am also spending more money with the merchants within my 35MPH roaming zone.

I think we need more of this ... not less.

I have no problem with any street legal vehicle, but to drive a golf cart down 30A is clearly inappropriate. We've had this problem in Inlet Beach for years, because a few folks let their early teen or even pre-teen kids drive carts there, and they're a danger to everybody else.

I have no problem with any street legal vehicle, but to drive a golf cart down 30A is clearly inappropriate. We've had this problem in Inlet Beach for years, because a few folks let their early teen or even pre-teen kids drive carts there, and they're a danger to everybody else.

Here's the thing: My NEV looks like a golf cart. But it has been modified to meet all state and federal regulations. It does not have a place for golf bags, but the rear seat folds down so that you can carry groceries (or a cooler over to the beach).

The key to knowing whether someone is "street legal" ... just look to see if they have a tag. If the cart has a tag, it has been modified to operate as a street legal NEV.

Here's the thing: My NEV looks like a golf cart. But it has been modified to meet all state and federal regulations. It does not have a place for golf bags, but the rear seat folds down so that you can carry groceries (or a cooler over to the beach).

The key to knowing whether someone is "street legal" ... just look to see if they have a tag. If the cart has a tag, it has been modified to to operate as a street legal NEV.

What's not legal is all of the riders I see not wearing seatbelts, this includes kids sitting facing the rear, and kids driving the dang things. There is a posted county ordinance against them and being on the mult-use path. It has just gotten a whole ridiculous feel to it around here, almost like being at a camp ground.


I love the fact that this place is a pedestrian/biker community, I'm not for the golf carts at all. I know I'll have to learn to accept them but I think they take away from the atmosphere a bit.

What's not legal is all of the riders I see not wearing seatbelts, this includes kids sitting facing the rear, and kids driving the dang things. There is a posted county ordinance against them and being on the mult-use path. It has just gotten a whole ridiculous feel to it around here, almost like being at a camp ground.


I love the fact that this place is a pedestrian/biker community, I'm not for the golf carts at all. I know I'll have to learn to accept them but I think they take away from the atmosphere a bit.

I agree. People should wear seat belts --- and stay off the bike paths (I never use them). It goes without saying that you need to be a licensed driver to operate any street legal vehicle.

But, being a fair-minded individual, I am sure you would not lop those of us who are playing by the rules in with those who do not.

The NEV is a new idea -- but an idea with great merit. Why do you need a full-blown SUV to run errands in your immediate neighborhood? Clean ... green ... and for the moment, a heckuva tax break.

I have no issue with the street legal electric vehicles, GEM Cars, etc., but the golf carts are the problem, not just because they travel so much slower, but because they are not as visible due to not being designed for street traffic usage. Some people driving them tend to take an extreme version of the pedestrian/cyclist right-of-way mentality that all automobiles must yield to their golf carts in any situation and the golf cart can then drive out into traffic crossing the street obliviously and at will just as a a child may do while riding a bike. I was behind one of the overloaded ones on Eastern Lake Road once, driving patiently behind it at about 8 - 10 mph, and the dad pulled it over to drop off or pick up some more kids, and a pre-teenish girl on the back seat, facing rearward, started pointing and yelling at me when I proceeded to pass the golf cart.

Driving a vehicle whose maximum speed is 15-25 mph below the posted speed limit is not safe.

I appreciate that you want to not take your SUV to run errands and are trying to be more earth friendly, but 30-A is a HIGHWAY and has a speed limit of 45 mph in many places.

I love to see people using street legal golf carts WITHIN their communities instead of driving cars, but 30-A is the main road serving our community and needs to be treated as such.