Golf Cart Street Legal Kentucky
These slow vehicles can travel on many different roads in Kentucky as long as the city that owns the streets has given permission to the drivers. In Kentucky, as in most other states, anyone who is under the influence of alcohol while driving a golf cart can potentially be charged with drunk driving, as it could pose a danger to the public, just like a regular motor vehicle. (Getty Images) Perhaps the push — ahem — to enforce new regulations to promote golf cart culture in Kentucky`s small towns is rooted in the idea that selling golf carts could increase city revenue through royalties and taxes while building a cottage industry for golf cart repair and sale ($75/hour is the usual price for cart maintenance). golf. according to Golf Cart Report). And while the density of golf cart-specific dealers and service stores in the area is surprisingly high — from M&R Golf Carts in Middlesboro to SS Golf Carts in Lawrenceburg — while creating new cash flow for municipalities is the real goal, community leaders have largely missed the mark. For starters, it turns out that few people want to drive a golf cart on the main road — and even fewer can afford it. “The regulation attracted a lot of attention when we passed it years ago. It has been touted as a fuel saver and it could be useful if citizens had a car near one of our golf courses in the city,” says Winchester Police Chief Kevin Palmer. The restrictions and safety equipment were too much for casual car owners, I guess. It never took off here. I cannot say that there have ever been more than 10 cars registered, and there are none at the moment. In addition, Winchester`s law currently provides for a severe penalty if the exact rules are not followed: an initial fine for mishandling a golf cart can be up to $250 and must not be less than $100. Next door, in Richmond, a public poll last year found that 53 percent of residents were opposed to golf carts being allowed in certain areas below 35 miles per hour.
67% of supporters of legalizing cars said they had no intention of buying their own. In Corbin, where golf carts are legal on approved roads, City Manager Marlon Sams notes that the city has issued only 15 permits since the law was passed in 2014. “Some people don`t like the rule that they can`t be on national roads,” Sams says. “And Corbin has several national roads within the boundaries of our city.” Between the high initial price, restricted authorized roads, and expensive maintenance of these types of limited-use toy vehicles, it is difficult to streamline local governments` prioritization of these niche hobby cars in an area where being able to afford to buy gas to get to work or doctor`s appointments is a major concern for a large portion of citizens. After all, a golf cart certainly won`t make a 2-hour round trip to the oncologist easier, as could be invested in a new national bus line. If city officials were truly interested in “saving fuel” or addressing the harsh reality of how limited access to rural transportation in the hills and Hollers has profound and negative consequences for Kentuckians, they would reduce their bureaucratic view of ways to expand public transit and make it cheaper — or free! – collaborative carpooling services for people in need. Unless focusing on golf carts is not a problem solver, but desirable. Because the golf cart ownership landscape is currently in Kentucky, these recreational vehicles are typically used for tools centered around farm properties, the tortoise-shaped answer to the muddy, raging hare of an all-terrain vehicle. But by moving golf carts from primary private to public use — and making it a political position — city leaders can try a Hilton head of their communities through golf carts as an obvious consumer choice. First legalized for road use in Palm Desert, California, in 1974, driving along roads in a golf cart is now synonymous with recreational class, and resorts like Naples, Florida, and Fripp Island, South Carolina, have made a point of integrating golf carts into the fiber of their tourism economy.
Perhaps, when city leaders returned from their summer vacation, they thought that focusing on legal golf carts on the street would be a way to boost tourism efforts in the small Kentucky town or attract residents who were already accustomed and could afford a golf cart lifestyle. Maybe it`s completely selfish and they just wanted to drive their own golf carts on the roads. However, the state has a fairly standard definition of a golf cart. (2) The governing body of a local government may authorize and regulate the operation of a golf cart on any highway under its jurisdiction if it makes an order specifying each road open to the use of golf carts. Kim Lancaster, public information manager at Bowling Green, said that after some initial issues with cart approval, things are going well these days. For more information on federal golf cart laws, please click here. Golf carts on roads have been around for decades, but especially in senior communities built around golf courses. It is possible to take up to five people on the trolley as long as they all have sealing straps. They also state that a golf cart must have at least four wheels for it to be legal to drive on any road. Golf carts can only be driven on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less and cannot be driven after dark. Golf carts also can`t go faster than 35 miles per hour or carry more than six people or 2,500 pounds. To legally drive your golf cart on public roads, you must obtain a license from your local government and issue it accordingly.
You will also need to have your golf cart inspected by a certified inspector designated by the county sheriff and certified by the Department of Vehicle Regulation to ensure that the golf cart meets the requirements of state laws. (7) A golf cart operating on a public highway designated by a local government in accordance with subsection (2) of this section is not considered to be a motor vehicle and is exempt from, Lewisport in Hancock County is considering an ordinance this summer, while Calhoun and Bowling Green moved in 2011 to allow people to drive the carts on secondary roads. Lancaster said she was not aware of any road accidents at Bowling Green involving golf carts. Take a Sunday drive down a hairpin bend through central and eastern Kentucky, and it`s easy to see that the area`s car culture is alive and well. Between monthly “cruise” events where enthusiasts show off their impeccably maintained mustangs and barracuda; draw race tracks that roar on a Saturday night with engines spinning; For monstrously large smoke-bleating trucks with toddler-sized tires, this is not a place where trains, bus systems, or walkable city centers have priority. Over the past 15 years, however, another motorized vehicle has been thrown into the mix throughout the region, though it`s slower and more stable than the Speed Racer: the golf cart. Golf carts are part of a class of motorized devices called “low-speed vehicles” – or LSVs – that include any road-certified vehicle that has a minimum speed of 20 miles per hour and is authorized to drive on public roads where the speed limit is less than 35 miles per hour. Kentucky first allowed golf carts to drive on public roads on any road within five miles of a golf course in 2008, then dismantled the condition near a golf course in 2010.
For example, not only do they have rules for medium-speed vehicles — which some states don`t even allow on roads — but they also have fairly simple rules for golf carts on the roads. LSVs, on the other hand, have a maximum speed of up to 35 miles per hour or more when modified. Golf carts tend to have fewer requirements because LSVs must meet various safety requirements, which will be discussed below. In almost every state, golf carts and LSVs are considered similar, but with some distinct differences. First, golf carts tend to be slower than LSVs and only have a maximum speed limit of 20 mph or less. If you drive a golf cart or LSV in the state of Kentucky and need to know Kentucky`s golf cart laws, here`s a comprehensive overview that will make sure you`re legal before you hit the road.
