Golf carts are a popular mode of transportation for many Georgia residents. Many young people also use golf carts as a relatively easy and inexpensive mode of transportation. However, people tend to think that golf carts are toys. But this is not the case. Golf carts are motor vehicles and they can be dangerous.
A new Georgia law passed by the Georgia State Legislature and effective January 2012 makes golf carts legal motor vehicles. This means that people who drive golf carts will be held to same laws that are in effect for other types of motor vehicles, including drunk driving laws.
As a result, if the operator of a golf cart is drinking and driving, he or she may risk losing their driver’s license, and face fines and possibly even jail time, in the same manner as if they were driving any other motor vehicle while intoxicated.
In one Georgia city, golf carts have already been on the police radar. The Peachtree City police department has been patrolling 90 miles of golf cart paths used by some 10,000 golf carts. In the past year, the Peachtree City police have made 17 DUI arrests of golf cart drivers.
Georgia residents who may own or use golf carts should be aware that golf carts will soon legally be considered motor vehicles and that, as a result, drinking and driving a golf cart will be against the law.
For people under 21 years of age who may consider drinking, they should be aware that if they drink and drive a golf cart they may risk an underage drinking and driving charge on their permanent driving record.
Source: Peachtree City News, “PEACHTREE CITY: Police crack down on golf cart DUI’s,” Paul Crawley, 31 May 2011