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Golf cart rules are needed in Paola

Opinion

Written by Andy Brown

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 08:00

“Many a golfer prefers a golf cart to a caddy because the cart cannot count, criticize or laugh” — Unknown.

Golf carts are more than just a handy way to get in 18 holes on a nice day, they’re also an everyday mode of transportation for a growing number of Americans — specifically retired Americans — across the country.

It’s not uncommon to see golf carts cruising down the streets of Country Club Heights in Paola as a person heads to the Paola Country Club, but it may soon become more common to see the carts on other streets throughout town as well.

Prompted by new state regulations approved by Gov. Mark Parkinson in April, Paola City Council members currently are discussing possible city regulations for the battery-powered vehicles. State law gives Kansas cities a wide freedom to restrict or allow golf carts, as the state only limits the vehicles to streets with a posted speed limit no more than 30 miles per hour and during the hours between sunrise and sunset. City officials can impose any additional regulations they choose, or ban the vehicles from city streets altogether.

Residents such as Phil Fisher, whose health problems have pushed him to rely simply on his golf cart for transportation, will be at the mercy of any new regulations Paola council members come up with.

It’s important for Paola to address the issue of golf carts, as City Councilman Jack Rowlett Jr. said the League of Kansas Municipalities received more calls this year in support of pro golf cart legislation than about any other issue. But it also is important for city officials to carefully map out the wording of such regulations.

Golf carts are designed for use on golf courses, and once they take to the streets it will be important that they are both street legal and street safe. Fisher’s golf cart has working headlights, taillights, turn signals, a horn and a number of other features that make it safe to drive.

Much like a conditional-use permit would be used in the city planning department, Paola officials need to create a list of conditions under which golf carts would be legal to drive on city streets.

According to a study published in the July 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, there were an estimated 148,000 golf cart-related injuries between 1990 and 2006. A well-written city ordinance mapping out restrictions of golf cart use will help ensure that Paola won’t contribute to that total in the future.

— Brian McCauley

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