Description

Out of control Golf Cart usage! Nearly everyday, many times in this same day, one can encounter an golf cart being illegally operated on the streets of this neighborhood, and often by children. Worse, these unsupervised children are also operating these unlicensed (uninsured) vehicles in a reckless manner, with other children not seat belted, being towed on skateboards, or standing on the sideboards or fenders. These are not off-road encounters, but upon city streets. The problem has been over several years, but has gotten worse and worse as the police do not seem to ticket any violators. Additionally, parents seem to not care they are letting their children do this, which amounts to willful endangering a minor. You can find many times the adults riding in the same golf carts with open containers and well after dark.

This City has not passed a golf cart ordinance, as required by State law before such vehicles can be safely operated on the city streets, and until the police begin to aggressively enforce the current laws, the problem will get worse and worse before someone is seriously injured.

Police need to make a better effort to warn/cite these illegal operators or the problem will continue to worsen to the point the city has created a tacit approval for such operations (like they did with skateboarding on city sidewalks downtown). The difference here is that these violations are State law violations, not city.

The SPPD can make good use of those variable message signs coming into Shore Acres by also adding a message saying GOLF CART ARE ILLEGAL ON PUBLIC STREETS (AND BY UNLICENSED JUVENILES), or something similar.

This attached photo is just one example of the numerous encounters occurring on a daily basis in Shore Acres