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Saving gas vs. public safety |
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Monday, March 23 2009 |
Local police plan to follow state law for golf carts on the road
By Chris Meyers
Staff writer
As the temperature starts to rise, more alternative modes of transportation hit the streets.
Whether it be a bicycle, mo-ped, ATV or golf cart, the options are plenty for those looking to save gas money, but one of those options could result in an extra expense to pay the fine if someone is found driving a golf cart on a public road.
Although some cities and towns in Indiana decided to allow the use of golf carts on public roads in 2008, local ordinances follow state statute which prohibits their use on roads.
“Obviously, we will not pass an ordinance contrary to state law,” Frank Kessler, Churubusco Town Council President, said recently of the issue.
Churubusco Town Marshal Chad Fulkerson said at the council’s most recent meeting that he would also not like to see golf carts allowed on local streets out of safety concerns.
Columbia City and South Whitley also follow state law regarding motorized carts on streets.
To be allowed on a public road, the carts would have to be registered with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, but the BMV will not register them because they don’t meet safety requirements.
Sgt. Ron Galaviz, public information officer for the Indiana State Police in District 22, said Indiana traffic code doesn’t specifically ban or restrict the use of golf carts provided they meet the proper registration requirements, but if the BMV doesn’t allow them to be registered, it can put the brakes on someone’s plan to legally use a cart.
Functioning head and brake lights, turn signals and other equipment are needed to make golf carts street legal, but standard carts don’t come from the factory with such features.
“Golf carts are illegal on any county or state road,” Mark Hodges, Whitley County Sheriff, said.
He said he hasn’t given the department’s deputies any specific orders to be on the lookout for golf carts, and will leave it up to the deputies to decided if a ticket should be issued or the driver sent home with a warning.
Rodney Clear, public information officer for Northeast Indiana’s conservation officers in District 2, said unlike other off-road vehicles, golf carts do not fall under the enforcement of the Department of Natural Resources, even if they are modified to be registered legally.
He said conservation officers will enforce state law and said residents should contact their respective law enforcement agency with questions on local policy.
As for the fate of any tickets written to golf cart riders, the local prosecutor’s office said it will stand behind the tickets and push for a conviction.
“If an officer writes a ticket for that, we will pursue it,” Whitley County Prosecutor Matt Rentschler said.
The Indiana House and Senate heard a bill in January of this session which would allow cities and towns to adopt ordinances that would allow golf carts on public roads.
The bill states that local ordinances could require the carts to have slow-moving signs on them and require the driver to have a valid driver’s license.
The town of Hamilton, located in Steuben County, passed an ordinance which allows residents to drive carts on town roads if they pay a $40 annual registration fee and have insurance on the cart.
The ordinance also limits how many passengers can be on a cart at once. Town officials said at the time that they adopted the ordinance to ease the burden of high gas prices, something Galaviz sympathizes with, but not as a trade-off for safety.
“We understand, but at what point do you draw the line for safety?” he said.
Both Galaviz and town council members are concerned that allowing golf carts on streets could open the door for snowmobiles, ATVs and other vehicles to be allowed on public roads.
E-mail staff writer Chris Meyers at
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, March 24 2009 )
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